Burn-off jumps fire breaks
By Sam Morton and Myles Hume
Mid Canterbury firefighters
attended the biggest scrub fire
of the season at a Chertsey Kyle
Road farm yesterday, where
sparks from a controlled burnoff were believed to have ignited
a fire outside the fire break.
Four fire engines and five tankers attended the blaze which
spread down a 400 metre tree
line, destroying a hay stack in
the paddock.
The fire has highlighted the
real dangers of burn-offs, as the
fire spread out of control in a
farmer’s paddock, who thought
he did everything right.
And he hasn’t been alone.
In the past 48 hours, the
Ashburton, Rakaia and Methven
volunteer fire brigades have
attended nine scrub fires between
them, following reports from the
community that the fires have
been out of control.
The patience of Mid Canterbury
firefighters is being tested, as a
growing number of vegetation
fires reported around the district
are often false alarms.
However, the brigade chiefs
believe the dry summer has
upped the level of caution around
the community and recent large
bush fires in Prebbleton and
West Melton have added to the
concern.
“It’s a catch-22 really, you’re
damned if you do, damned if
you don’t,” Ashburton chief fire
officer Alan Burgess said.
“We don’t want to be telling
people not to ring the brigade if
they see smoke, but I guess what
we are saying is to err on the
side of caution. If you have any
doubt, then let us know, but if
you think it’s innocent enough,
then make that judgement.”
The Ashburton District Council
has imposed a restricted fire
season, meaning strict criteria
has to be met by farmers to
light burn-offs and no fires are
permitted to be lit in any urban
areas at any time.
The Chertsey farm owner told
the Guardian he drove around
and checked for hot-spots after
the burn-off, but claimed a small
twister carried sparks into the
blue gum tree line.
“I feel sick about it, wouldn’t
you?” he said.
“Not so much about the danger, but it just spoils your day.”
Meanwhile. Methven chief fire
officer Selwyn Allred said the
brigade has been dealing with a
handful of scrub fires this year,
but believes the number of callouts is “no more than usual”.
He praised the majority of the
community for their understanding of correct burn-off practices,
but encouraged others to familiarise themselves with the meaning of “restricted” fire season.
“Some people do jump to conclusions very quickly and before
you know it, a call has been
made to the brigade without any
further knowledge.
“At this time of year, it’s almost
expected to have these callouts
coming through.” Mr Allred said.
“It’s all part of the job, but
I think in a lot of the cases, if
people investigated a little closer,
they would feel there is no need
for the service of the brigade and
time and resources would be
saved.
“It’s a case-by-case and I guess
we would rather hear about a
potential out of control fire early,
before it’s too late. Ultimately
though, it comes down to com-

90c Casual $1.20

Principal
takes bill
worries to
the House
By Myles Hume

Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 190213-TM-083

Firefighters battle a wild blaze at a Chertsey Kyle Road farm. The fire was sparked by a controlled burn-off in a
nearby paddock.

Photo Erin Tasker
Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 190213-TM-100

Mayfield fire crews attend to a callout at Shepherds Bush Road about 3.30pm. The fire was permitted.
mon sense,” he said.
Mr Allred insisted farmers
should be setting down a fire
break, surrounding the area of
the burn-off.
“Some farmers still see benefits
in getting their new crop in the
ground and that’s none of our
business, that’s their decision.
“However, we have seen a few
burn-offs creep past their fire
breaks and then that’s when it
becomes our business.
“Farmers should have water
on hand and should be monitoring the situation at all times,”
he said.

Permitted fire: A burn-off on Wakanui Road on Monday looks to be out
of control, but it’s not. The farmer had adhered to all fire regulations
and the brigade was not required.

A pupil who was recently stood
down for taking a pouch of tobacco
to school backs up Grant McMillan’s
decision to take his concerns over
the Education Amendment Bill to
Parliament.
The Ashburton College principal
flew to Wellington last night and
will present his 21-page submission to a select committee in opposition to the Education Amendment
Bill this morning.
The bill proposes to limit the
search and seizure powers of school
staff when they believe pupils hold
drugs, alcohol, weapons and other
prohibited paraphernalia in school
grounds.
Mr McMillan has been a strong
opponent of the bill, which he
believes could leave schools with
no choice but to expel pupils who
refused to co-operate with staff
when they had a suspected banned
item on them.
He pointed to an incident last
week when a pupil was stood down
after college staff told the person
to hand over their bag, suspecting
there was the tobacco pouch inside.
The pupil handed over their bag
to college staff where the pouch
was found.
“But in a situation where we ask
them to hand over their bag and
they say ‘no I don’t have to’ we will
turn around and say ‘right are you
refusing to pass over your bag?’
and they say ‘yes’ then we will have
no choice but to suspend them,” Mr
McMillan said.
“It removes a whole lot of options
to keep the kid in school while they
deal with their problems, options
that parents would like to see used.”
Under the proposed bill, schools
would not have the power to search
bags, but instead could only investigate school property such as lockers and desks.
Mr McMillan made the decision to
back his submission in Parliament
to reinforce his six main concerns
and to be on hand to answer questions.
His main point will be built
around what particular harm or
effect prompted the Ministry of
Education to make a change and
if there was any particular issue
at all.
“I hope it makes an impact, this
bill appears to be written by someone just on their desk top, I hope
talking about what the effect could
be day-to-day will make a difference.”
He believed there were several
principals opposing the amendment.

FIRE REGULATIONS
Restricted fire season
break.
and the person lighting the fire
time.
- The prevailing wind at the time - A portable water supply sufficient
must stay in attendance until the - It is recommended a cellphone be
shall not exceed 15km per hour.
to suppress any wildfire that may
fire is completely out.
on site for early warning should
- Check weather forecast to show
result from the controlled burn, and - Regular patrolling of the fire perimthe controlled burn escape or get
settled weather for at least 24
a means of delivery for that water
eter is to be conducted wherever
out of control, requiring the fire
hours.
is to be on site for the duration of
practical and safe.
service.
- The controlled burn shall be conthe burn, and must remain on site - No fires are to be lit or allowed to - The person lighting the fire should
ducted during the hours of daylight
until the fire is completely out.
burn when the smoke is likely to
have current insurances for public
only.
- In all cases constant supervision
cause a nuisance to neighbours or
liability and fire suppression in
- The area to be burnt shall be fully
is required. It is recommended a
a hazard to traffic – no fires should
place.
surrounded by a continuous fire
minimum of two adults be present
be lit in any urban areas, at any Source: Ashburton District Council
Grant McMillan

AMAI, Barbara –
Dearly loved wife of the late
Nick, mother and mother-inlaw of Terry and Sue and
loved nana of Cameron,
Nathan and Brylee.
RIP
Now you are
no longer in pain.
Passed
away
in
Christchurch Hospital on
February 12, 2013.
BENNETT, Trevor John –
On February 18, 2013.
Passed away peacefully at
Ashburton Hospital. Aged
82. Dearly loved husband of
the late Heather. Much loved
father and father in law of
Vicky and Dale Blizzard
(Tasmania),
Robert
and
Marie, Colin, and Steve, and
loved grandfather of Allana,
Glenn,
Finley,
Ricky,
Sara-Lee,
and
Holly.
Messages to the Bennett
Family, C/- P O Box 109,
Ashburton 7740. A service
for Trevor will be held at
Our Chapel, Cnr East and
Cox Streets, Ashburton on
FRIDAY,
February
22,
commencing
at
1.30pm.
Followed
by
private
cremation.
Paterson’s Funeral Services
FDANZ Ashburton
McCORMICK, Jessica –
25
years
young
on
February 18 at Wanganui
Hospital.
Precious
granddaughter of the late
Roy and Ethel McCormick
and special niece of Ray and
Pam, Allan and Dianne,
Murray
and
Lynette
Perkins, Robin and Gail
Simms, Mark and Pam May,
and all her cousins.
'Now at peace.'
Dempsey & Forrest
208 Guyton Street, Wanganui
www.dempseyandforrest.co.nz

McCORMICK, Jessica –
Most
precious,
divine,
perfect niece and cousin of
June and Mike Steenson;
Sharon, Brian, Sean and
Liam
McCormack;
Mel,
Flash, Molly and Lachie
McKenna. Winging her way
to the pearly gates of heaven
to be held in the arms of her
late grandparents, Jack and
Joan Robinson. The “Big
Guy”
upstairs
will
be
delighted to have a new
STAR striker and goal scorer
extraordinaire on his football
team!!!Play hard Jess, leave
nothing in the tank and best
of all, enjoy the after
match!!!
Forever loved. xoxoxo
Please note all late death
notices or notices sent
outside ordinary office hours
must be emailed to:
deathnotices@theguardian.co.nz

to ensure publication.
During office hours notices
may also be sent to:
classifieds@theguardian.co.nz

Drink-drive charge dismissed
The luck of the Irish was smiling
on a Methven mechanic, when his
drink driving charge was dismissed
in the Ashburton District Court yesterday.
Thomas Concannon contested
driving with an excess breath alcohol level of 677 milligrams of alcohol
per litre of breath at a fixtures hearing, in front of Judge Joanne Maze.
Concannon, an Irish national,
claimed he had briefly returned to his
vehicle to collect his wallet; Methven
police constable Aaron Tapp’s evidence pointed at Concannon driving the vehicle moments before he
apprehended him.
Giving evidence, Mr Tapp said he

had observed a vehicle leaving the
Brown Pub car park and turning
onto Mckerrow Street about 2.20am
on September 9. He said the same
Ford Falcon stopped at the intersection of Mckerrow and Main Street,
and he observed a single occupant
in the driver’s seat.
That driver pulled out behind Mr
Tapp and followed him along Main
Street for about a kilometre, before
pulling into a lay-by.
Mr Tapp performed a U-turn and
saw the driver get out the driver’s
door and walk across the lay-by. He
said the weather was fine, the area
was well lit and there were no other
vehicles in the vicinity.

When spoken to Concannon identified himself and agreed to a passive
breath test, which was positive. He
then agreed to accompany Mr Tapp
to the Methven Police Station, where
an evidential test confirmed the EBA
level.
In the witness box, Concannon
said he had worked the previous
morning, and had spent the afternoon at the Brown Pub, leaving his
car parked in the nearby lay-by.
Later he walked home, but returned
to meet friends at the pub about
9pm.
By his own confession, he drank
too much. Sometime after 2am, he
ran out of money, so went back to

his car to get his wallet – and that’s
when he met Mr Tapp.
Concannon said he was “frozen” and complied with Mr Tapp’s
requests out of respect and a fearfulness of police.
Concannon’s lawyer, Michelle
Barrell, put it to Mr Tapp that he
didn’t see the vehicle leaving the carpark; that Concannon’s vehicle had
been parked in the lay-by for hours
and that it was a different vehicle
which followed him up Main Street.
Judge Maze pointed to the differing accounts between the evidence of
Mr Tapp and the defendant, however
she said it was reasonably possible
that there were two dark coloured

Ford vehicles in the vicinity and that
one had been parked in the lay-by,
and the other had been driven out
of the pub carpark onto Mckerrow
Street, then down Main Street.
“The police have to prove that he
(Concannon) is a liar, and has given
evidence under oath which he knows
to be untrue,” Judge Maze said.
“It is reasonably possible that he is
being truthful, and reasonably possible the police officer observed the
vehicle behind him intermittedly.
“It is not necessarily what happened, but it is reasonably possible
the officer made a mistake, therefore
the case is not proved beyond reasonable doubt, and is dismissed.”

Motorcyclist
had to lie
on power
wires for
an hour

Teachers
support
Christchurch
colleagues

A motorcyclist lay on downed
power lines for about an hour after
crashing on the Haast Pass yesterday.
The 56-year-old Christchurch man
was travelling on State Highway
6 from Haast to Wanaka with his
brother, who was on another motorbike, when he lost control and skidded off the road about 5km south of
Makarora, shortly after 10am.
The man came off his motorbike
after it crashed into a deer fence
pole. The motorbike then hit a power
pole, knocking it over and breaking
it into several pieces, while its rider
landed in a ditch beside the road
lying across the downed power lines.
Emergency workers at the scene
could not move him until a crew from
electricity company Delta arrived
about an hour later and tested the
cables to ensure they were not live.
“We just didn’t want to put that
person or anyone else at risk [of electrocution],” Senior Constable Mike
Johnston, of Wanaka police said.
The man was airlifted to Dunedin
Hospital. However, other than suspected broken wrists and ribs, the
man was “remarkably unscathed”,
Mr Johnston said.
“He should go and buy a year’s
worth of Lotto tickets because he’s a
very very lucky boy.”
It appeared the man had lost concentration Mr Johnston said.
“We don’t think it was a speed
issue.”
Fire crews from Makarora and
Lake Hawea attended the accident,
along with Haast and Wanaka police
and Wanaka St John paramedics.
The accident cut off power to the
Makarora area for several hours
while the damaged power pole was
replaced.
-APNZ

By Myles Hume
The devastating news delivered to 19
Christchurch schools was the main talking
point around Tinwald School’s staff room
yesterday.
In support of their colleagues, the school’s
teachers and support staff dressed in red
and black, as the news of seven closures
and 12 mergers cut close to the bone.
“I just finished training and a lot of
the schools I did placement at are affected,” the school’s newest teacher Louise
Schollum said.
She said many of her close friends she
trained with had made the move to affected schools and felt for those who would
now have to look for new jobs.
Fellow teacher Monica Genet sympathised with families and communities.
“Schools are at the centre of communities and we know children who have to
change schools are disadvantaged,” she
said.
The school’s red-and-black day was
meant to coincide with a planned strike in
Christchurch, however the teacher’s union
abandoned it and held a more low-profile
march yesterday afternoon.
Teacher aide Christine Osborne was
dressed from head to toe in red-and-black.
She was gutted to see the seven schools
listed for closures on the staff room whiteboard, but she believed the children would
adapt.
The affected schools have until March 28
to put forward any further information to
try change their fate.
Final decisions will be made in May.

PREBBLE - SWIFT –
Daryl and Debbie are
thrilled to announce to their
family and friends that they
are now engaged.

NEWS

A communication breakdown
between police and Child Youth and
Family meant a teen was on the run
for three months before crashing and
dying in a stolen car.
Isaiah Elu Paora Nathan, 13,
had been removed from his family and placed in foster care near
Kaitaia in Northland but ran away in
September 2010.
Sergeant Alison Holdaway from
Kaitaia police told the Coroner’s
inquest at Auckland that she issued
a missing persons report and followed it up with a message on a
Child Youth and Family (CYF) social
worker’s phone.
Asked if she did anything else,
Ms Holdaway said: “Unfortunately, I
didn’t do anything”.
Police suspected Isaiah was
returning to his family in Auckland
where there had been complaints of
domestic violence and neglect but
Ms Holdaway said she did not believe
the case was “serious”.
Auckland-based Sergeant Marko
Radojkovich said he had no record
of communications from CYF on file.
Neither was there a record of
Manukau police being notified by
Northland police that the teenager
could be in their area.
“We deal with hundreds of young
people. If we thought he was in our
area, we would have made enquiries.”
Sergeant Radojkovich said Isaiah’s
case is one of many. Last year 54
children had run away while in CYF
care. Police had 384 missing persons
files for those 54 children, meaning
some were likely to have run away
up to 30 times.
Isaiah’s social worker - who was
given interim name suppression told the court that he phoned family
members to try to find the missing
teenager and suspected family members were hiding him.
He was asked what formal contact
he had with police.

“I didn’t have contact with police.”
He said there are no records of
informal chats with police officers
but “it is possible we talked about it”.
He was asked by counsel assisting
the coroner, Lily Nunweek, who was
responsible for finding Isaiah.
“I would like to say we work together but it is very much the police
responsibility. I guess we would have
to work together.”
A second social worker, also given
interim name suppression, said he
also could not recall “specific interactions” with police but said there were
informal talks that were not recorded
on the organisation’s records.
At one point he was called to a
family meeting and tried to get Isaiah
to turn himself in but instead the
teenager ran off.
The social worker said that information was not passed to police.
“We did not have a discussion with
formal plans.”
He said if he had specific information about where Isaiah was it would
have been passed to police.
The social worker was asked what
could be done to improve communication with police.
“I think we just need to ensure we
are ticking some of the formal boxes
rather than making assumptions
about what the other one knows.”
Isaiah was found dead about a
month after the family meeting.
Police found his body in the driver’s seat of a stolen Subaru Legacy.
He had been doing up to 107km/h
in a 50km/h zone and failed to take
a corner.
The car went through a fence and
two of the posts shattered the windscreen.
Four other teenagers aged between
12 and 15 were in the car. They
ran from the scene and were later
tracked down by police.
Sergeant Sascha Huff said toxicology reports showed traces of THC in
Isaiah’s bloodstream.
There was also a trace of alcohol in
his bloodstream.
-APNZ

A bill to ‘Mondayise’ public holidays
is set to pass its crucial second reading
in Parliament today.
Labour MP David Clark’s private member’s bill would mean New
Zealanders get a Monday off when
Waitangi Day and Anzac Day fall on a
weekend.

The bill looks to have enough support to get past tomorrow’s vote and, if
so, would likely become law after political rubberstamping. It is expected that
only the 59 National MPs and Act representative John Banks will oppose it.
Anzac Day next falls on a Saturday
in 2015, and Waitangi Day in 2016.

It is not until 2021 that both fall on a
weekend in the same year.
The Government previously rejected
the bill, with Justice Minister Judith
Collins saying Anzac Day is for remembering the dead: “To reduce it into a
three-day weekend is, I think, very disrespectful.”
-APNZ

Dally parole ‘a long way off’
The killer of Lower Hutt
schoolgirl Karla Cardno is still
“a long way off being eligible
for release”, the Parole Board
says.
Paul Joseph Dally, 52, who
has spent almost 24 years in
jail for the 1989 murder of the
13-year-old, was denied parole
last week.
The board released its full
decision yesterday.
It said Dally was still a long
way off being eligible for parole
and it was “out of the question” at present.
“Mr Dally remains a high
risk offender and poses an
undue risk to the safety of the
community. Parole is declined
and he will be seen again with-

CRUMB

in the statutory cycle.”
The board referred to a previous decision which described
Dally as having a “potentially
sinister combination of psychopathy and possible sadistic
sexual practices”.
“Mr Dally must receive
assessment and treatment in
the form of the TePiriti Child
Sex Offenders Program.”
Dally claimed to be “motivated” to attend and complete
the programme.
“Time will tell whether such
motivation is genuine,” the
decision said.
Karla’s stepfather, Mark
Middleton, said last week it
was a “farce” that Dally was
entitled to parole applications

year after year.
“All of the hundreds of thousands of decent Kiwi people
out there ... I haven’t come
across anybody who wants
[Dally] in their neighbourhood.
The man’s too dangerous,” he
told RadioLive.
Dally was sentenced to life in
prison in 1990 after snatching
Karla from her bike as she rode
home from the local shops,
dragged her to his house and
repeatedly raped and tortured
her for 22 hours.
He later put her naked,
bound and gagged in the
boot of his car and buried
her alive in a shallow grave at
Pencarrow Head.
- APNZ
by David Fletcher

111 diary
Incidents attended to by the
Ashburton Police and Mid Canterbury
volunteer fire brigades recently.
Check out guardianonline.co.nz, for
up-to-the-minute updates on every
fire callout in the district during the
week.

• The Ashburton Volunteer
Fire Brigade was called to a
tractor fire on Beach Road,
in Ashburton, yesterday. The
fire crews arrived at the scene
and promptly put the flames
out, before returning to the
station where they were called
out just 30 minutes later.
• The crew headed to
Shepherds Bush Road, in
Mayfield, to assist the Mayfield
Volunteer Fire Brigade with
burning trees in a private
paddock. The fire was quickly
contained.
• Ashburton mother Megan
Christie phoned the Guardian
to inform us her seven-yearold daughter’s highland dancing sword had been returned.
“We don’t know how or why,
but it’s back and my little
girl is delighted,” Mrs Christie
said. The sword was returned
early yesterday.

• Crash victim dies
A teenager involved in a
three-car crash in Waikato
last week died in hospital
overnight Monday. Four people were injured when the cars
collided on State Highway 23
near Whatawhata just before
10pm last Thursday. Police
said a 17-year-old woman who
was in one of the cars died in
an Auckland hospital overnight.
- APNZ

• Gisborne quake
A strong earthquake struck
east of Gisborne early yesterday morning. The magnitude
4.9 quake occurred 60km from
the city at 1.23am, GeoNet
said. It was about 9km deep.
- APNZ

• Hitch-hiker attacked
Police are looking for an
elderly man after a hitchhiker was sexually assaulted
near Nelson. The 21-year-old
woman was hitch-hiking from
Richmond to Nelson about
10am on Friday when she was
picked up by a man in his 70s.
Instead of dropping the woman
near the hospital she alleges
he sexually assaulted her. The
woman escaped when the man
got out of the car.
- APNZ

• Man found
A man who has been missing for almost a month has
been found on the West
Coast. Reginald Anthony
Pitout, 26, had been missing
from his home in Richmond,
Christchurch, since January
24.
-APNZ

• Home invasion
Shots were fired during a
home invasion at a North
Shore house on Monday
night. The occupants were
left “extremely shaken” but
unhurt in the incident at a
property in Glenfield about
11pm, police said. At least two
people arrived at the address,
sparking an altercation with
the occupants. Shots were
then fired inside the house.
The offenders then left in at
least two vehicles.
-APNZ

Piles are a pain

in the
butt!!

At The Haemorrhoid Clinic
our qualified and experienced
surgeon specialises in
haemorrhoid
treatment and
management.

Mechanics Richard Morten and Wayne Drake on the job at the Hinds Garage.
There are plenty of cows and we
caught up with Valda Swarbrich
as she rattled up another dairy
cockie’s drive for a load of milk.
She loves what she does, celebrates driving Synlait’s 18 gear
manual milk tankers, saying those
are real trucks, none of the pussy
autos for her.
The road into Mayfield is long
and we’re buffeted by truck after
truck unit stacked high with
straw. By the end of six kilometres
we had straw in places we never
dreamed it could stick.
Mayfield School gave us a warm
welcome and a cold orange drink.
We chatted with the students
and were invited to preview a
newscast senior students William
Murdoch, Mac Edwards and Ryan
Greenslade had made. Good stuff.
Three high-tech kids with an outstanding knowledge of movie making.

Photo Jacqui Beardsley 113

follow Sue’s

LIVE

blog with

The voice of Mid Canterbury 24/7

www.
Down the road we found
Maureen Crowley painting her
verandah. The Irish family works
in Christchurch but have their
rural fix in their holiday home in
Mayfield. They fell in love with
the district at the Methven Show,
couldn’t afford a property there
and fell in love with Mayfield
instead.
John Fleming’s nickname is

ONLINE.co.nz

mower man. And when we spotted him in the Mayfield Domain,
he was happily powering his way
around the play area, that’s what
you do when you love your community.
The Udder Dairy is well known
around New Zealand and that
means owners Kevin and Gay
Monson spend most of their day
serving locals and entertaining

tourists who can’t drive past the
shop with the crazy name. It’s a
busy life, 350 days a year, seven
days a week, but you have to work
at something they say.
Drain layers Callum Bartlett
and Dan Cranfield were at the
dairy filling their bellies. By midafternoon the gap between smoko
and their missed lunch was just
too much. They downed tools and
headed into the village for food,
and lots of it.
Last stop for the day was the
Mayfield Pub. Unlike Hinds it was
open for business with mine host
Colleen McKay and collie dog Sally
happy to welcome us with a pint.
Tomorrow we’ll be back in the
saddle – early. We have a big day,
planning to ride from Mayfield to
Methven, but how far we actually
get will depend on the people we
meet along the way. It’s a day with
no definite full stop.

www.

ONLINE.co.nz

to check out
these new
photo galleries:

– MHC swimming sports
– Guardian on tour
– And so many more!

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A long slog ahead today - almost 50 kilometres.

A 23-year-old has been
charged with murder over the
fatal stabbing of an Auckland
man last week. The 24-yearold man was found stabbed
to death at an address in
Half Moon Bay on Friday.
Later, a former school friend
crashed his car into a house
in Pakuranga and was found
trapped and suffering stab
wounds. A Pakuranga man has
been charged with murder and
appeared in Manukau District
Court yesterday.
-APNZ

Another perfect day in the saddle. Sky so blue it hurts your eyes,
air so still the dust floats and cannot settle and mountains in the
distance that shimmer in the heat
haze.
Our route from Hinds to Mayfield
was always going to be punishment for Monday’s easy downhill
ride. Trust me, there’s a definite
uphill gradient between the two
rural towns and on long, straight
roads that’s a bit of a psychological
hiccough.
Hard slog or not, nothing can
take away the sheer joy of being
out on the road, checking out rural
scenes and talking to great people.
Richard Morten and Wayne Drake
at the Hinds Garage unlocked our
bikes from overnight storage. The
pair of mechanics spend their days
working on trucks, tractors and a
vague assortment of farm machinery. Richard tossed in life as a
nurseryman to work as a mechanic and Wayne left his job in the UK
as an aircraft engineer to be a Kiwi
mechanic.
We wound our way up Swamp
Road and for several kilometres
thought we were the only people
alive. But a quick stop for a drink
at the intersection of Swamp and
Winslow Roads yielded gold.
We flagged down Darrin Dudson
and Lance Hill from Murray
Smith Aluminium. They were racing round the district fixing windows. Today Ashburton, tomorrow
Oxford. And then there was cherry

Guyon Cameron. He was eating,
sleeping and breathing hay, carting it day after day from his dairy
run-off block to his Hinds farm.
Winter fodder for his 550 dairy
cows.
Crossing onto Maronan Road we
decided to check out the roadies
who were busy on a reseal. Rodger
Harris was making a fine job of
working his little roller up and
down the chip and was happy to
stop and chat about his job. Like
the rest of his team he’s working
13 hour days and relishes any
chance to stop for a cuppa.
Over the fence we spotted Mervyn
Chapman, happily hammering
away in his backyard installing
shade cloths to keep the chooks
in and the dogs out. With Wayne
Pascoe they’re earthquake refugees, opting to leave the city and
relocate to rural Mid Canterbury
with their team of poodles and
their dog grooming business.
Long roads, super heat and kilometres without a person in sight.
Just hay. Contractors baling hay,
contractors carting hay. No farmers. Rural depopulation is clearly
not a myth.
While everyone is sweltering in
late summer heat, Tim Boyd is
working round the clock building
up his firewood stocks. Dairying
has been his friend. As elderly pine
trees make way for irrigators, Tim
celebrates.
Every tree he fells and clears
means money in the bank. The
demand for firewood is high; he
can barely keep up.
It’s not all hay bales out here.

• Murder charge

Appli
a

By Sue Newman

3

Ashburton
Business Association
Awards 2012

4

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

OUR VIEW

More broken
promises in
Chch shakeup
By Coen Lammers

editor

M

id Canterbury schools
will be watching the
current developments
in Christchurch with interest.
The teachers and principals
will have genuine empathy
and understanding for their
Christchurch colleagues but
also must be wondering what it
all means for the future of their
schools.
The announcement by
Education Minister Hekia
Parata to close seven schools
and merge 12 others has
caused heartache and pain
for thousands of children
and parents throughout
Canterbury.
The way the initial plans
were announced was traumatic
for the 31 schools involved, so
the reprieve for 12 schools has
at least restored a smidgeon of
trust in the ministry.
Still, after the number of
dramas caused by Ms Parata
and her ministry over the past
12 months, it is hard for many
in the industry to take any of
her comments at face value.
For starters, the minister
has backtracked on several
occasions and again on Monday
reneged on her promise to
Christchurch schools that the
closures would not happen
until 2016.
Several schools enrolled
pupils on the understanding
that their environment would
not change for another three
years, but have now been put
on notice that they have to find
new schools and jobs by the
end of this year.
Ms Parata sugar-coated this
betrayal with the parents’ need
for certainty, but it is not the
clarity these people had in
mind.
The fact that the ministry
has yet again had to do a major
U-turn demonstrates the lack
of information its decisions
were based on.
For many conspiracy
theorists it simply confirms

that Ms Parata has an ominous
agenda and is not too worried
about facts and figures getting
in the way of her end goal of
closures and mergers.
In the meantime though it
caused massive upheaval and
stress for those who needed it
the least, earthquake-affected
children, parents and schools.
Principals wasted hundreds of
hours writing submissions and
collating evidence that should
have been considered by the
ministry before it even made
the initial decisions. That fact
that Ms Parata thinks that the
upcoming census is irrelevant
for this process speaks
volumes.
Despite all the work from
their principals, seven schools
will still end up on the
chopping block, while 12 others
also face the uncertain future
of mergers. Twelve others are
allowed to carry on but most of
them should never have been
on this list in the first place.
As the mergers and closures
are rushed through by the
end of the year, more poor
displaced Christchurch
children will end up in cold,
soulless pre-fab classrooms
thrown together to fit Ms
Parata’s timetable. Not exactly
“the most modern schooling
network in the country’’ that
her broken record keeps
replaying.
Critics within the industry
are convinced that the
National-led government took
advantage of the earthquakes
to rush through its big-picture
plans in Christchurch and that
it will be a blueprint for the
rest of the nation.
This may prove to be a
conspiracy theory, but Mid
Canterbury schools will need
to remain on their toes as this
Government has sent a clear
signal that a school’s role in its
community counts for little if
Wellington bean counters can
spot a few savings.

OPINION

Plain packaging on its way
The Government is expecting
legal challenges over plain cigarette packaging and has warned
they could cost taxpayers up to
$6 million.
Associate
Health
Minister
Tariana
Turia
yesterday
announced
the
Government
would push ahead with plans to
introduce unbranded, standardised packaging with large health
warnings for all tobacco products.
The plan would make New
Zealand only the second country
after Australia to introduce such
packaging - but it would also
make the Government vulnerable
to legal challenges similar to those
being fought across the Tasman.
Ms Turia said Ministry of Health
officials would begin policy work
immediately, but any changes would not be implemented
until the conclusion of a World
Trade Organisation dispute over
Australia’s introduction of plain
packaging.
Ms Turia expected that could be
completed within 18 months.
But the Government was likely
to face legal challenges even if
Australia won the WTO case - and
Ms Turia said fighting off those
challenges could cost taxpayers

$3-$6 million.
Despite that, she was confident
plain packs could be on shelves as
soon as next year.
“We know that we’ve got trade
obligations and we take them seriously ... but we are confident that
plain packaging can be introduced
consistently with those obligations.”
However, Auckland University
trade law expert Professor Jane
Kelsey said the packaging chang-

es might not go ahead at all.
She said waiting for all of
Australia’s legal cases to be
concluded would push the
Government’s plans well into the
next parliamentary term - when
National might not have to rely on
the Maori Party for support and
would be free to abandon the law
if it wanted to.
As well as the WTO case,
Australia is being sued by tobacco
giant Philip Morris on the grounds

its packaging regime breaches a
free trade agreement with Hong
Kong.
Dr Kelsey said that process
could take five years or more - by
which time the tobacco companies
would have “a whole new legal
canvass on which to play” after
the introduction of the TransTasman Partnership Agreement.
Chapman Tripp partner Daniel
Kalderimis said introducing plain
packaging would result in big
tobacco firms filing a slew of lawsuits - including potential administrative law challenges based on
an alleged lack of consultation.
He said any legal challenges
would be pursued vigorously by
the tobacco firms, but they would
face a complex job proving a
breach of trade treaties.
British American Tobacco has
already signalled it would not rule
out legal action.
Its New Zealand general manager, Steve Rush, said the
Government had been pragmatic
in deferring its final decision until
all the international trade and
legal issues had been resolved.
“While we can’t rule out legal
action at this stage, we can say
that we will fully participate in the

Facebook
predator
banned
from the
internet
By Rebecca Quilliam and
Matthew Backhouse

Dr Death to lay complaint Salmon anglers get greedy
over Customs treatment
By Andrew Ashton

“Greedy” anglers threatening
to turn a salmon bonanza in
South Island hydro canals into a
free-for-all are being accused of
ignoring catch limits and using
illegal methods to catch easy
prey.
Following the release of 36,000
salmon smolt from the Mt Cook
Alpine Salmon hatchery at Ohau
18 months ago, anglers have
reported being able to hook a
fish at every cast at some spots
on the Tekapo and Ohau canals.
However, Central South Island
Fish and Game field officer
Graeme Hughes said the easy
fishing had resulted in more
people fishing illegally and
ignoring the two-salmon quota.
Mr
Hughes
said
since
December, 18 offence notices
had been handed out to anglers
on the Pukaki and Tekapo
canals.

By Kieran Campbell
Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip
Nitschke says he will make a formal complaint against Customs
after being held at Auckland
International Airport until 2am
yesterday while officials scrutinised his and his wife’s luggage.
The Australian activist, who is
known by the nickname Dr Death,
said he had been investigated by
Customs officials coming into New
Zealand before, but the inspection
had never been as “severe” as it
was on his current visit.
Dr Nitschke said he arrived with
his wife in Auckland at midnight
on Sunday and their luggage were
searched “in detail” for prohibited
items.
He said officials told him they
also needed to search all of the
couple’s digital property, which
included examining all documents
on computers and memory sticks.
Dr Nitschke, who is in New
Zealand for two workshops on
how to source and use legal and
illegal drugs for euthanasia, said
nothing objectionable was found
by Customs.
“My wife is saying she’s never
coming back to New Zealand
again,” Dr Nitschke told APNZ.
“I don’t like being singled out.
It’s almost as if the policy is to
make your entry into the country
as miserable as possible.
“Absolutely [I will think twice
about flying to New Zealand
again]. I think it will be a good
idea to make a formal complaint.
I will be talking to our Wellington
lawyers later today.”
Dr Nitschke said he was told by
Customs officials that they were
working “as fast as they could”
but some of their equipment used
to examine digital documents had
not been working properly.
“Our lawyers in Wellington made

Dr Philip Nitschke
it clear that they have certain
rights. The question is when is
the inspection becoming unreasonable,” Dr Nitschke said.
He spoke to a crowd of more
than 100 in Auckland last night
and will present in Wellington
tomorrow where his key topic will
be how to use nitrogen for a “reliable, peaceful, legal and totally
undetectable death at the time of
their choosing”.
Dr Nitschke launched the company Max Dog Brewing last year,
which he says can legally buy and
sell nitrogen for brewing beer.
Dr Nitschke said he had a lifelong passion for brewing beer but
admitted the company also provided a loophole so the drug could
be supplied to people who wanted
to use it for euthanasia.
He said his current trip to New
Zealand would also include visiting the Christchurch Beer Festival
on Saturday as part of Max Dog
Brewing.
“If you were just going to say

legislative process.”
Labour leader David Shearer
and health lobby groups are
among those in support of the
plan.
Mr Shearer said it was the right
thing to do.
“ I think it’s a good idea, it will
benefit New Zealanders, it will
have health benefits, bring down
health costs.”
Cancer Society spokeswoman
Skye Kimura said the main aim
was to protect children and tobacco products would no longer be
decorated with desirable colours
and prominent branding.
Smokefree Coalition director
Prudence Stone said plain packaging would remove the tobacco
industry’s last methods of making
smoking appear “glamorous and
sophisticated” to children.
Action on Smoking and Health
director Ben Youdan also praised
the proposal, but said there was
no need to delay its introduction
until next year.
Mental Health Foundation chief
executive Judi Clements said
plain packaging could significantly reduce smoking and save the
health system almost $2 billion.
- APNZ

that we’re marketing this product
[nitrogen] only to help people die,
there would be possible objections
to that,” Dr Nitschke said.
“Certainly in Australia it’s very
clear the gas can be used for brewing. We make it very clear that you
can use it for a peaceful death or
you can use it for brewing.
“I suppose you can do it for both
if you wanted to - you can brew
and then at some point you could
use it to end your life.”
He said he was expecting a large
audience at his Wellington meeting
and there were many New Zealand
members of his pro-euthanasia
group Exit International.
A spokeswoman for Customs
said no complaint had been
received from Dr Nitschke.
“If we do [receive a complaint]
it will be treated in accordance
with our standard complaints process and fully investigated. We are
unable to make any further comment at this time,” she said.
- APNZ

He said most of the notices
were issued for fishing without
a license, but there had also
been a lot of instances of people
using “the wrong bait and wrong
methods”.
Ohau A in particular, was a
“hotspot” for landing fish, he
said.
“There appears to be one heck
of a lot of fish being caught.
People hear about these easy
fish and they go up there with
the wrong type of gear.”
However, he added that the
situation had resulted in shouting matches and “unpleasant
situations”, when rule-breakers
had been confronted by lawabiding anglers fishing on the
same stretches of water.
“Where you get a time of plenty you get a time of greed, and
that’s what annoys people that
are sticking to the rules and
only taking two when they are
looking at people taking more
than two.”

Stolen robbery car
found burnt out

A stolen car used during
three armed robberies around
Auckland tourist spots at the
weekend has been found partially burnt out in Onehunga.
The 2010 blue Commodore
SV6 used during robberies on
Mt Eden and Auckland Domain
within an hour on Sunday, was
recovered by police just before
7am yesterday.
It will be forensically examined
and police are asking for any
sightings of the car, with the registration GPH784, in Onehunga,
Mangere or Hillsborough since
Monday, particularly anyone
who saw it being set alight yesterday morning.
“Whoever dumped and burnt
the car had to have been assisted
to get out of the area, so we’re

keen to hear from anyone who
saw this car travelling in tandem with any other vehicle and
people,” said Detective Inspector
Scott Beard.
At least four people were confronted by a man who stole
money, a cellphone and a bag
containing valuables, including
a Taiwanese passport, between
4pm and 5pm on Sunday.
During one robbery, on the
summit of Mt Eden, the man
fired five shots into the ground
when two of the victims challenged and chased him after he
took their bag.
Anyone with information is
asked to call Auckland Central
CIB on 0274 367 561 or
Crimestoppers anonymously on
0800 555 111.
- APNZ

As a result, Fish and Game
would have rangers patrolling
the canals, midweek and at
weekends, to ensure people were
“playing the game”, he said.
Mt Cook Alpine Salmon chief
executive Geoff Matthews said
the release of salmon was part
of the fishery’s commitment to
the local community and environment, and although regular
releases to restock local lakes
and rivers would continue, he
urged anglers to obey the law.
“There is beautiful fishing on
the Ohau A canal, they’re not
the big monsters that you get on
the Ohau C, but there are beautiful fish out there.
“There is enough for everyone
to go round”, he said.
“We release those fish in conjunction with Fish and Game
and Meridian, and we released
them for recreational fishing,
but people have got to obey the
recreational fishing laws - simple as that.”
- APNZ

A 20-year-old Hutt Valley man
has been ordered off the internet after allegedly inappropriately
contacting young girls on a social
networking website.
The man, who has been granted interim name suppression,
appeared in the Lower Hutt
District Court yesterday facing two
charges.
Police say the man threatened
to disclose naked pictures of an
11-year-old girl if she stopped
communicating with him, as well
as travelling to the girl with the
intent of committing a crime.
Judge Ian Mill bailed the man
to his home, but ordered he stay
away from the internet and not
permit anyone else to use the
internet on his behalf. He was also
ordered not to contact the complainants.
The man was arrested on
Monday after allegedly using fake
Facebook profiles to send inappropriate messages to at least two
young girls.
Police investigated after a girl in
the Hutt Valley area laid a complaint last week.
The man had allegedly created at least three fictitious profiles to send the messages, which
Detective Kylee Cusin said had “a
sexual undertone”.
One of the profiles was under
the false name of Nick Davis and
featured a fake photo.
Ms Cusin said two teenagers
had laid complaints and it was
more than likely the offender had
contacted others.
Police have called for any young
women who have been inappropriately contacted by “Nick Davis” on
Facebook to get in touch.
Wellington police spokesman
Nick Bohm said police had identified a number of profiles allegedly
belonging to the man.
“When you look at the number
of people that those profiles are
in contact with, there’s a potential
pool there that is quite concerning.”
- APNZ

YOUR VIEW
Pool prices
Since my retirement 18 years
ago I have enjoyed swimming
twice a week in our community
pool.
I was stunned this week when
paying for a new card to find
the price had gone from $21 to
$35.50, the gold card subsidy
has been stopped by the powers
that be.
I had hoped to keep swimming

Letters

till I reached my 80s, an age
where, at the moment, you don’t
have to pay to enjoy the swimming complex at the new stadium.
That may be just wishful thinking as they (the powers that be)
may stop that and push the price
way up beyond the means of the
many old age pensioners who
enjoy their time at the pool same
as I. I hope not.
Roy Keeling

We welcome your letters, although:
• We reserve the right to abridge, edit or not publish letters.
• Correspondents are not permitted to use pen names, and for
verification must provide address and contact number (neither
for publication).
• Letters should be no more than 300 words.
Address correspondence to The Editor, Box 77, Ashburton, or
e-mail coen.l@theguardian.co.nz

NEWS

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

5

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

SkyCity ‘treated
very differently’
SkyCity got special treatment on talks
about the international convention centre after the Prime Minister’s personal
intervention.
John Key wrote on a briefing paper
“we should close off the SkyCity angle”
before spending $170,000 on ways to
fund the centre.
He later told the Office of the AuditorGeneral his August 2009 instruction to
officials referred to “his broad awareness that SkyCity had development
plans at that time”.
The auditor-general’s office investigated the deal after concerns were
raised by the Green Party over the fairness of the process which led to the
casino being selected to build the convention centre.
The auditor-general’s report on the
deal gave the green light for the convention centre deal but found SkyCity
was treated “very differently” to others
tendering for the contract.
It was critical of problems around process - issues which began to arise from
the point Mr Key personally penned his
note on the briefing paper calling a halt
to a wider business being prepared.
The auditor-general’s report stated
Mr Key’s understanding of the casino’s
desire for development followed a personal meeting with SkyCity executives
and a later meeting between the casino
and his chief of staff Wayne Eagleson.
The auditor-general said neither Mr
Key or the casino could “recall the dis-

cussion” on May 14, 2009.
However, the casino said it did canvas
development plans with Mr Eagleson
when they met on June 17, 2009,
who invited them to put options in
writing. Nothing was spelled out in
detail until Mr Eagleson, his deputy
chief of staff and the chief executive of
the Department of Prime Minister and
Cabinet met with casino executives in
September 2009 to “go over” the plans.
At that meeting, the casino told the
PM’s staff they wanted the Gambling
Act 2003 changed and an early renewal of the company’s exclusive casino
licence.
Mr Key was personally briefed on
options for the convention centre at a
dinner with SkyCity board members
and executives on November 4, 2009.
At the dinner, Mr Key told them he
wanted a bigger and better facility than
they were mooting - to “think outside
the box”.
Concerns were being raised at that
stage about the process being followed.
On the same day as Mr Key’s dinner
with SkyCity, a Treasury official warned
officials about “process and probity”.
The same warning was conveyed to
Mr Key in a briefing note on November
12, 2009. The auditor-general’s office
said it was the only documented advice
around process after the initial concerns from Treasury.
Mr Key said the auditor-general’s
report “utterly refuted” allegations

by the Greens and Labour that his
Government had struck a “cosy deal”
with SkyCity over the convention centre.
“What they’ve said is that there were a
few procedural matters that could have
been handled a bit better by officials,
nothing of substance that would have
changed any of the outcomes.”
But Greens co-leader Metiria Turei
said the report showed SkyCity had
received preferential treatment and the
deal should be ditched.
“The auditor-general’s report was
hugely damning, finding the process
that chose SkyCity was ‘flawed’ and
revealing the relationship with SkyCity
was so cosy that the other proposers
didn’t stand a chance. This report does
not vindicate John Key.
She said Prime Minister John Key was
clinging to one technical finding in the
report while ignoring the vast majority
of it.
Labour leader David Shearer said
Mr Key and his Government had given
Sky City an unfair advantage in its bid
for the contract to build a convention
centre.
“SkyCity had the worst tender of the
five, this is ridiculous that he can claim
that he was not losing any sleep on it; I
would have been awake all night. This
has had John Key’s fingerprints all over
it and it was a shonky deal and John
Key is donkey-deep in it.”
- apnz

Pams Potato Chips

150g
(excludes Kettle Fried Chips)

99

c
ea

Limit 4 assorted

Pams White Sugar

2

1.5kg

69
ea

Pams Nutbars

1

6 Pack

99
pk

New Season Royal Gala
Apples Loose

Pams Fresh Express NZ
Chicken Kebabs 8 Pack

100% NZ GROWN

100% NZ CHICKEN

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kg

9

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pk

photo APNZ

Rally against school cuts
By Kurt Bayer
“She has to go,” said Sarah Blake,
waving a placard outside the Ministry of
Education offices in Christchurch.
Her feelings on Education Minister
Hekia Parata - prompted by the closure of her two children’s Central New
Brighton School - were shared by about
1500 others who joined the public rally
against school closures yesterday.
They were protesting against proposals announced yesterday to close 12
schools and merge six in the greater
Christchurch area. Seven will shut by
next January.
Hundreds of teachers declared a
motion of no confidence in Ms Parata at
a rally inside a packed CBS Canterbury
Arena after the school bell yesterday
afternoon.
The teachers, joined by parents and
pupils, then marched on the local
Ministry of Education office to deliver
the message. Trains were halted during
the vocal 500m march where protesters
waved placards and chanted, “Hek no,
she must go”, and “Hekia Parata, hear

our voice, we want options, we want
choice”.
Emotions ran high as NZEI president
Judith Nowotarski and John Leadbetter,
a teacher at Parkview school which has
escaped change, were greeted by a ministry official and taken inside to handdeliver the vote of no confidence.
The glass doors were then locked as
the crowd kept chanting and called for
Ms Parata to resign.
Mrs Blake said her two children,
Ondreaz, 6, and new entrant, Navaeh, 5,
were devastated by plans to merge with
South New Brighton.
The 24-year-old mother-of-three
summed up the feelings of many at the
rally.
“Parata doesn’t understand this,” she
said, looking around the crowd of people, waving banners and calling on the
Government to listen.
“We’ve gone through so much and this
is just the last straw.
“I’ve moved so many times because
of the earthquakes, but the kids have
always had their school, which is my old
school, and their aunties’ and uncles’
old school, and now it’s been taken away

from us.” The motion of no confidence
was put forward by local members of
teaching union NZEI.
They are demanding that Ms Parata
commits “to moving forward in an engagement that is credible and respectful”.
Ms Nowotarski said the Government
has been “deaf” to Christchurch schools’
pleas.
The closures were driven by “political
expenditure” rather than what was best
for pupils, she said.
Southbridge School principal Peter
Verstappen opened the rally by warning
Ms Parata that “there’s a long way to go
on this journey yet”, and that teachers
would fight the closures.
Some are considering legal action in
the form of a Judicial Review to try and
keep their gates open.
Green Party education spokeswoman
Catherine Delahunty attended the rally
to support teachers, parents, and children who were being “dictated to”.
“We’re looking in vain for a consistent logic. We can’t understand why
small schools and intermediates can’t
play a vital role to play in a rebuilding
Christchurch.”
- apnz

8

1kg Mild, Edam or Colby

49
ea

Cotton Softs Toilet
Tissue 18 Pack

5

99
pk

Hone steps in on family dispute
By David Fisher
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira has
offered to help settle a dispute between
three of his nephews and a 12-year-old
boy the trio allegedly assaulted.
Mr Harawira issued a statement yesterday in which he said: “Family remains a
cornerstone of my life, through both the
good times and the bad times. The matter
relating to my nephews is before the court
at this time and I’d rather not comment
on the allegations until the case is over.
I have however, offered my help to settle this in the best interests of all parties
concerned. That is all I have to say on the
matter,” he said.
The charges were hanging over the men
on Waitangi Day when their mother, antiviolence campaigner Hinewhare Harawira,
was acting in a leading role welcoming Sir
Owen Glenn’s inquiry into violence onto

Waitangi Marae. The three sons facing
charges of injuring with intent to injure
in relation to the August 24 incident are
Mau Toa Harawira, 30, Enesi Zane Brooks
Taito, 25, and Tohora Harawira, 22.
They are due back in court on April 9.
Mau Harawira was separately charged
with robbery.
None have yet entered a plea.
Hinewhare Harawira refused to comment.
It alleged the trio had spent the early
afternoon drinking at a relative’s home
in Blockhouse Bay before heading to a
nearby beach on Manukau Harbour.
Also at the beach reserve was the
12-year-old boy, who was playing with a
toy.
The men claimed that as they were leaving, they saw the boy “mouthing some
words at them”. According to the police
summary, they pulled the car over and
gave chase, following the boy to his home

before returning for the car and parking it
in the driveway.
The police statement alleged Mau
Harawira opened a ranchslider door and
walked into the house shouting for the
boy, who was in his bedroom.
Police alleged the boy was struck and
thrown to the ground before Enesi Taito
joined his brother and “punched and
kicked the victim about the head and
torso as he has lain on the ground”trying
to cover his head with his arms.
The two men then dragged the boy out
of his bedroom “by his hair and arms”and
onto the deck, where Tohora Harawira
was waiting, the police claimed.
Enesi Taito slapped the boy several
more times while Mau Harawira went back
inside the house and took a PlayStation3,
games, two pairs of sport shoes and a
baseball cap, the police summary claimed.
The boy pleaded for the men not to take
his belongings.
- APNZ

Teachers, school staff, pupils and parents rallied against school closures in Christchurch yesterday.

6

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

WORLD

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

EU ministers Burger King’s Twitter feed hit by Big Mac
reject arming
Syrian rebels
European Union foreign ministers announced yesterday that
they were keeping current sanctions against Syria in place for
three months, rejecting attempts
to alter an embargo on the country
so that arms could be funnelled to
rebels fighting President Bashar
Assad.
However, in an apparent nod to
the UK, which had argued that the
rebels should be exempted from
the embargo, the ministers adopted a non-specific amendment “so
as to provide greater non-lethal
support and technical assistance
for the protection of civilians”.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine
Ashton said that the meaning of
that would be defined in meetings among the representatives of
member countries to the union.
She denied to reporters that the
wording was a political fudge.
Still, British Foreign Secretary
William Hague appeared to claim
victory, saying many countries
had not even wanted to discuss
changing the embargo at a meeting in November.
“Most states were opposed to
any amendment of the embargo
and today we have amended it in a
very important way, in a couple of
very important ways,” Hague said.
He added that further amendments could be made three
months from now, an indication
that Britain might continue its
push to arm the rebels.
“We will have to have that
debate at the time, and I think
that will depend on whether any
political progress is now made in
Syria and depend on the continued loss of life which continues
on an appalling and unacceptable
scale,” Hague said.
Several EU foreign ministers
said, in strong terms, that they
opposed sending any more arms
into the ravaged country.
That view was supported
yesterday by a new report by

Burger King sustained a virtual
Big Mac attack when its Twitter
account was hacked then redesigned with a bogus claim of a
corporate takeover by McDonald’s.
Its @BurgerKing account briefly
yesterday sported the McDonald’s
golden arches logo, a curt statement that Burger King “just got
sold to McDonald’s” and tweets
promoting Chicago rapper Chief
Keef before it was abruptly suspended.
In a statement to AFP, Burger
King’s director of global communications and culture Bryson
Thornton said the feed would
remain offline “until we are able to
re-establish our legitimate site and
authentic postings”.
“We apologise to our fans and
followers who have been receiving
erroneous tweets about other members of our industry and additional
inappropriate topics,” he added.
On its own Twitter feed,
McDonald’s said: “We empathise
with our @BurgerKing counterparts. Rest assured, we had nothing to do with the hacking.”
Meanwhile, a Twitter spokesman
told AFP by email: “We don’t comment on individual accounts for
privacy and security reasons.”
– AFP

William Hague
a UN-appointed panel that said
Syria’s civil war is becoming
increasingly sectarian and the
behaviour of both sides is growing more and more radicalised.
The report urged the international
community to curb the supply
of weapons and anti-government
forces to part with foreign fighters.
A number of ministers said
they were placing their hopes on
the mediation efforts of Lakhdar
Brahimi, the joint UN-Arab League
envoy to Syria.
“There is no shortage of arms
in Syria,” Luxembourgish Foreign
Minister Jean Asselborn said.
“With more arms, there are more
killed, more atrocities.”
The UN says nearly 70,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict since the revolt against Assad
began in March 2011.
Despite the appalling violence,
diplomatic efforts continue. Mouaz
al-Khatib, the president of the
opposition coalition, has said he
would negotiate with representatives of Syria’s governing party
– though not with Assad or members of his security services. – AP

photo ap

This frame grab shows what appears to be Burger King’s Twitter account after it was apparently hacked. The fast-foot company’s Twitter picture was changed to a McDonald’s logo, and the account tweeted that it had been sold to rival McDonald’s.

Nestle finds horsemeat in meals Adopted Russian child
murdered by US mum
Swiss food giant Nestle has
become the latest retailer hit
by Europe’s horsemeat scandal, announcing it is removing
pasta meals from supermarket
shelves in Italy and Spain due
to contamination.
“Our tests have found traces
of horse DNA in two products,”
the world’s biggest food company said in its statement yesterday.
“The mislabelling of products
means they fail to meet the
very high standards consumers
expect from us,” it added.
Therefore the company is “voluntarily removing” two chilled
pasta products, Buitoni Beef
Ravioli and Beef Tortellini from
sale in Italy and Spain immediately.
The tainted products breached
the 1 per cent threshold the

British Food Safety Agency uses
to indicate likely adulteration or
gross negligence, Nestle said.
A Nestle frozen meat product
for catering businesses, produced in France, will also be
withdrawn from sale.
Nestle apologised to consumers while assuring that “actions
being taken to deal with this
issue will result in higher standards and enhanced traceability”.
Concerns about horsemeat
first emerged in mid-January
when Irish authorities found
traces of horse in beefburgers
made by firms in Ireland and
Britain and sold in supermarket chains including Tesco and
Aldi.
The scandal then intensified
when French firm Comigel alerted Findus this month to the
presence of horsemeat in the

The facts behind
food price scare
Food prices are not becoming more expensive as the increase in cost tracks the rate of
inflation, an economist says.
The cost of a basket of fruit and vegetables
has increased by 14.2 per cent in five years,
according to Statistics New Zealand data
requested by the Herald.
The Consumers Price Index - a measure of
inflation - has jumped 15.7 per cent over the
same period.
Shamubeel Eaqub, principal economist at
the NZ Institute of Economic Research, said
the rising cost of food often inspired emotive
reactions.
“When you look at these issues, you sort of
need to step back a bit.”
Mr Eaqub said food prices were not becoming more unaffordable. Since 2000, the average hourly wage had risen by about 50 per
cent while food prices had risen about 30 per
cent, he said. “Typically speaking wages will
rise quicker than the cost of living.
“But what happens when you have rising
incomes is that as a household moves up
an income bracket, it might choose to buy
Wattie’s rather than Pams, more meat, it
might choose to have more vegetables - all of
those things are going on underneath.”
Mr Eaqub said food price increases were
more noticeable in poorer households.
Statistics New Zealand’s prices manager,
Chris Pike, said factors like the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables and

“He died before the arrival of
the ambulance called by his
adoptive mother. According to
the autopsy report, the boy had
many injuries.”
Russia has long complained
about the treatment of Russian
orphans adopted by American
parents and in December controversially passed a law banning adoptions of Russian children by Americans.
In a co-ordinated move, both
Russia’s foreign ministry and
the Investigative Committee
quickly put out statements
regarding the case of Maxim
Kuzmin, who died on January
21, according to the ministry’s
human rights envoy.
– AFP

Telecom,
Vodafone
unveil
Tasman cable

the increase to GST by 2.2
per cent in 2010 should be
taken into account.
“And then you’ve got factors like the Queensland floods
which
impact the price of our win- ter produce, such as in 2011.”
And the Herald’s shopping basket does
not account for relative importance - that
is how much New Zealanders are buying of
each product at a certain time.
However, over the period of January
2007 to December 2012, the Food Price
Index - which measures relative importance - increased by 17.4 per cent, putting
it in the same ballpark as the Herald’s
shopping basket, Mr Pike said.
The Herald’s shopping basket comprises 1kg each of oranges, bananas, apples,
kiwifruit, lettuce, potatoes, mushrooms,
carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli.
A nzherald.co.nz online poll found 82
per cent of people would definitely buy
more fruits and vegetables if they were
cheaper – the cost is the major deterrent.
Fourteen per cent said they would
“maybe” buy more, but the goods
would need to be significantly
cheaper. And 4 per cent said cheaper fresh produce would not make
them buy more because they don’t eat
many fruits and vegetables anyway.
– APNZ

By Hamish Fletcher

Solid first half for Contact Energy
By Pattrick Smellie

WORLD INDICES

A woman in the US state of
Texas has killed her adopted Russian son, the Kremlin’s
envoy for children says, outlining the latest alleged abuse of
an adopted Russian child by
American parents.
“A three-year-old Russian
child has been murdered by
his adoptive mother in the state
of Texas,” ombudsman Pavel
Astakhov said on his office’s
Twitter feed.
“Three-year-old Maxim was
beaten (according to the investigators) by his adoptive mother,
who fed him psychoactive drugs
over a long period of time,” he
said, expressing dismay that
the US State Department kept
silent about the case.

BUSINESS

Sharemarket
NZX 50

meals it had made for the food
giant and which were on sale in
Britain.
Since then, supermarket
chains have removed millions
of “beef” products as tests are
carried out to detect horsemeat, which is eaten in many
European countries but is considered taboo in Britain.
Horsemeat in “beef” readyto-eat meals had already been
confirmed in products found in
Britain, Ireland, France, Austria,
Finland, Norway, Denmark,
the Netherlands, Germany and
Sweden.
Most of the mislabelled products were made by Comigel.
With Italy and Spain now also
tainted by the horsemeat scandal it appears that most of the
continent has been affected.
– AFP

Contact Energy’s first-half profit
rose 29 per cent to $88 million as
the impact of low wholesale electricity
prices offset flat demand and shrinking margins on retail electricity sales.
Chief executive Dennis Barnes
described the overall result as “solid”,
but labelled the retail segment performance only as “acceptable” and
reiterated the company is restructuring to reduce costs as it completes $2
billion of investments in new power
stations and implements a companywide information technology upgrade.
The result for the six months to Dec
31 was achieved on revenue of $1.213
billion, down 5 per cent on the same
period a year earlier, with some off-

set from a 9 per cent fall in operating
expenses to $960 million.
That yielded earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation
and changes in the value of financial
instruments of $253 million, up 10 per
cent from the first six months of the
previous financial year.
Underlying profit, a measure that
extracts one-off items and is used
by the company to indicate ongoing
performance, was up 21 per cent at
$92 million, representing earnings per
share of 12.7 cents, up 17 per cent
from 10.9 cps in the previous comparable period.
Investments in gas storage and faststart gas-fired peaker plants were
proving themselves for their ability
to allow the company to take advantage of low wholesale prices, said

Barnes. “In August, Contact was able
to advantage of lower wholesale prices
and generate less than it sold to customers.
“The average wholesale spot price
for 1H13 was $56 per Megawatt hour,
compared with $79 per MWH for
1H12.’
However, volumes of electricity sold
were 1 percent lower than in the prior
period.
“Margins decreased for electricity
sales by $1 per MWh, reflecting the
competition for customers in an oversupplied market,” Barnes said.
Some 40 percent of the Contact
customer base was now taking advantage of the company’s sector-leading
22 percent discount for bills paid on
time and online - an offer created
after Contact dropped its price-leading

strategy in the face of major customer
losses between 2008 and 2010.
Contact told its approximately 1,100
staff last week that it would be restructuring to cut around 10 percent of the
workforce.
“In an environment of flat electricity demand it is important that we
continue to manage our cost base,”
said Barnes in today’s statement. “We
recognise that workforce changes are
unsettling, particularly for any of our
people who are affected and we will
support them through this transition.”
Other cost savings included reduced
maintenance on the company’s combined cycle gas turbine plants, reflecting their reduced levels of use and the
expiry of Contact’s “swaption” for electricity from Genesis Energy’s Huntly
power station.
– APNZ

Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra
have announced a deal to build
a new undersea telecommunications cable between Auckland and
Sydney which should dramatically
increase the amount of internet
data able to be sent to and from
New Zealand.
The companies said the new
cable, tentatively called the
“Tasman Global Access” cable,
would “significantly improve New
Zealand’s international telecommunications connectivity as well
as strengthen links into fast-growing Asian markets”.
The total cost of the cable is
expected to be less than $US60
million ($NZ70.9m).
A design is expected to be finalised within the next few months,
with a likely completion date of mid
to late next year.
The cable will incorporate three
fibre pairs with a current design
capacity of 30 terabits per second
– approximately 300 times the current internet data demand.
Last month Southern Cross
Cable, which counts Telecom as
an owner, announced it would cut
its capacity prices by a fifth. The
cable runs in a figure-eight loop
between New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji
and the US mainland, is nearing
completion of its eight capacity
upgrade, taking total lit capacity to
two terabits a second.
Telecom chief executive Simon
Moutter and Vodafone New Zealand
CEO Russell Stanners issued a
joint statement yesterday morning.
“The business case for a new
cable between New Zealand and
Australia is compelling, providing
greater capacity and global redundancy capability. It also reflects the
growing importance of transtasman internet traffic: for example,
around 40 per cent of both Telecom
and Vodafone’s international internet traffic is now Australia to New
Zealand, versus just 10 per cent in
2000,” they said.
– APNZ

WORLD

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

7

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

Steenkamp’s mum: Why did he do this?
The family of Oscar Pistorius’
slain girlfriend wants answers,
her mother told a Johannesburg
newspaper, as South Africans
braced to hear why prosecutors
believe a national hero murdered
the model who was shot multiple
times.
June
Steenkamp,
Reeva
Steenkamp’s mother, told The
Times in a front page interview:
“Why? Why my little girl? Why
did this happen? Why did he do
this?”
“Just like that she is gone,” the
newspaper quoted her as saying
in what it described as an emotional telephone interview. “In
the blink of an eye and a single

breath, the most beautiful person
who ever lived is no longer here.”
Pistorius, who remains in custody in a red-brick, one-story
police station in Pretoria, is set to
return to court today for the start
of his bail hearing. It will be the
first opportunity for the prosecution to describe evidence police
gathered against the 26-year-old
double-amputee runner and the
reasons why he was charged with
murder. Prosecutors allege the
killing was premeditated.
Pistorius’ family denies he committed murder though they have
not addressed whether he shot
her. When word first emerged
about the killing there was spec-

ulation in the local media that
Steenkamp had been mistaken
for an intruder in Pistorius’ home.
Police have said that was not
something they were considering.
In an email to The Associated
Press, Pistorius’ longtime track
coach – who was yet to comment
– said he believes the killing was
an accident.
“I pray that we can all, in time,
come through this challenging
situation following the accident
and I am looking forward to the
day I can get my boy back on the
track,” Ampie Louw wrote in his
statement. “I am still in shock following the heart-breaking events
that occurred last week and my

thoughts and prayers are with
both of the families involved.”
While Pistorius goes to court,
Steenkamp’s funeral will also be
held today in her hometown of
Port Elizabeth on South Africa’s
southern coast, her family said.
It is to be a private ceremony at a
local crematorium, closed to the
public and media.
“We’re just taking things one
day at a time,” Reeva Steenkamp’s
brother Adam Steenkamp said
outside the family home.
“But at the moment it’s family
coming together and the one person who would be the strongest,
who held us all together, is unfortunately not here anymore – and

that’s my sister.”
A 29-year-old blonde model,
law graduate and reality TV contestant, Reeva Steenkamp died
last week of multiple gunshot
wounds inside Pistorius’ upscale
house in a gated community in
the eastern suburbs of the capital, Pretoria.
Police said they arrived on
Valentine’s Day to find paramedics trying to revive Steenkamp and
said that she had been shot four
times. A 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene. Pistorius
was arrested and charged with
murder the same day.
Prosecutors said in Pistorius’
first court appearance that they

would pursue a more serious premeditated murder charge against
the Olympian and world’s most
high-profile disabled athlete.
In a statement initially given
only to the AP and two South
African reporters over the weekend, Arnold Pistorius, Oscar’s
uncle, said the prosecution’s own
case would show there was no
murder.
“We have no doubt there is no
substance to the allegation,” he
said, “and that the state’s own
case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes
any possibility of a premeditated
murder or indeed any murder at
all.”
– AP

UK ‘national treasure’ has died
British actor Richard Briers,
loved by millions for his years
in TV sitcom The Good Life, has
been praised as a “national treasure” following his death at the
age of 79.
His co-star in the 1970s BBC
show, Penelope Keith said his
death was an “enormous loss”
and called him “the most talented
of actors”.
Briers, who also played a number of Shakespearean roles on
screen as well as starring in hit
shows such as Ever Decreasing
Circles and Monarch Of The Glen,
had battled a serious lung condition for many years.
He died “peacefully” at his
London home on Sunday (UK
time) only weeks after he told how
years of smoking had left him
with emphysema.
Tributes to the star flooded. Sir
Kenneth Branagh, who cast him
in a number of productions on
screen and stage, said: “He was
a national treasure, a great actor
and a wonderful man. He was
greatly loved and he will be deeply
missed.”
And Prunella Scales, his costar from TV hit Marriage Lines,
told BBC Radio: “He was just a
wonderful colleague and a dear
friend.”
Briers will be best remembered
for his performance as Tom Good,
alongside Felicity Kendal, in the
1970s BBC sitcom The Good Life
about a couple who drop out of
the rat race in Surbiton, south

Richard Briers
west London, to enjoy a life of
simple self-sufficiency.
But his varied career saw him
narrating the 1970s children’s
cartoon series Roobarb And
Custard, as well as adding his
voice to the animated version of
Watership Down.
Although long known for his
comedy performances in film and
TV, a new strand to his career
unfolded when he joined Sir
Kenneth’s Renaissance Theatre
Company in 1987, and went on
to work on a number of classical
roles.
They worked together on Henry
V, Peter’s Friends, Much Ado

About Nothing and Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein during their lengthy
association.
His most recent performances
have included roles in last year’s
Cockneys Versus Zombies, plus
a small role in a newly released
movie version of stage farce Run
For Your Wife, despite his failing
health.
In an interview carried out only
a matter of weeks ago, the actor
told how his health had suffered
after his emphysema diagnosis
five years ago. He attributed his
problems to smoking, although
he gave up 10 years ago.
“I was diagnosed five years ago
and didn’t think it would go quite
as badly as it has. It’s a bugger, but there it is. I used to love
smoking.
“It’s totally my fault. So, I
get very breathless, which is a
pain in the backside. Of course,
when you’re bloody nearly 80 it’s
depressing, because you’ve had it
anyway.”
His agent, Christopher Farrar,
of Hamilton Hodell, said: “Richard
was a wonderful man, a consummate professional and an absolute joy to work alongside.
“Following his recent discussion of his battle with emphysema, I know he was incredibly
touched by the strength of support expressed by friends and the
public.
“He has a unique and special
place in the hearts of so many. He
will be greatly missed.”
– PA

and PM in the afternoon, and
television’s BBC Breakfast, were
replaced by pre-recorded shows.
The NUJ claims the British
Broadcasting Corporation has
lost more than 7000 jobs since
2004 and it plans to cut a further
2000 jobs as it slashes its budget
by 20 per cent.
The budget cuts are being driven by a fall in the revenue the
corporation gets from the licence
fee, which is paid by everyone in
Britain with a television.
NUJ general secretary Michelle
Stanistreet said her members
were striking “to defend jobs and
quality journalism at the corporation”, saying they want talks to
resume over the redundancies as

self out, then unlocking stalls
for other horses – just not her
mother’s.
As of yesterday, the YouTube
video had more than 760,000
views.
Bonem tells the Saginaw News
that Mariska, “doesn’t like
to be locked in”.
Bonem
says
Mariska played

• First lady’s ‘crisis’
Michelle Obama jokingly says
a midlife crisis is what inspired
her new haircut. The US first
lady revealed the new hairstyle last month on her 49th
birthday, which came a few
days before the festivities for
President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. Mrs Obama
was asked about the new haircut during an interview with
talk-show host Rachael Ray.
“This is my midlife crisis.” She
said she got a fringe because
she can’t get a sports car and
won’t be allowed to bungee
jump.
– AP

• Set alight
Authorities say a Spanish
woman walked into a bank
branch in a small eastern city,
doused herself with flammable
liquid and set herself ablaze. A
regional government statement
citing police in Almassora says
the woman was taken by helicopter to be treated in Valencia
for burns that Spanish media
reported covered nearly half
of her body. Authorities did
not give a reason for why the
woman decided to set herself
on fire yesterday. But Spain is
in financial crisis, and banks
are being blamed for a wave of
mortgage foreclosures, homeowner evictions and at least five
mortgage default-related suicides in recent months. – AP

well as a moratorium on job cuts
until April.
“They are angry and frustrated
at the poor decisions being taken
at the top of the BBC – decisions
that are leading to journalists
being forced out of their jobs and
quality journalism and programming compromised,” she said.
The strike comes as the BBC
struggles to restore order in its
ranks following the crisis over
child sex abuse allegations
against the late presenter Jimmy
Savile, which exposed infighting
and chaos at every level of the
corporation.
In a statement, the BBC apologised for yesterday’s disruption.
– AFP

• New sanctions

with things in her mouth when
she was young, and “she just
kind
of progressed”.
– AP
photo ap

French father Serge Charnay, who wants visiting rights with his young son and is spending a fourth day atop
a crane in protest, flashes the V sign from the a crane. The man wants France to strengthen its law on shared
custody. Inscription on crane reads: Save our children from Justice.

Dad’s custody fight on crane ends

Mariska, a nine-year-old friesian horse
belonging to Sandy Bonem of Larkin
Township in Midland County, Michigan,
learned to open latches at Misty Meadow
Farms and she’s been nicknamed “Houdini
Horse”.

A French father demanding visiting rights with his son climbed
down yesterday from his protest
perch atop a crane, but said it
will be a long time before divorced
dads are seen as credible single
parents and get the same rights
in France as mothers.
Serge Charnay halted his
four-day protest on the crane
in the western city of Nantes
after Justice Minister Christiane
Taubira met with SOS Papa,
an activist group for divorced
fathers.
“It’s a start ... There’s lots of
work to do,” he told TV cameras
after reaching the ground. “These
little ladies still think we can’t
change the diapers of a kid and

take care of him ... This must
stop.”
Another father with a similar
grievance briefly occupied a crane
in the eastern city of Strasbourg
over the weekend before police
persuaded him to come down.
Charnay wants France to
strengthen its law on shared custody. He was convicted of taking his son on an unauthorised
vacation for two months in 2011
but says he did not regret that
because “if I hadn’t I wouldn’t
have seen him”.
He said he does not expect to
see his young son on his next
birthday but insisted that his
unusual protest was “absolutely
not” aimed at improving his own

lot. “I went up for the cause of
fathers,” he said.
The head of SOS Papa, Fabrice
Mejias, said the meeting with the
justice minister did not appear to
advance the fathers’ cause.
However,
Family
Minister
Dominique Bertinotti, who was
also at the meeting, said later it’s
clear France needs to promote
mediation between separating
parents rather than systematically putting divorce cases before
a judge.
She rejected Charnay’s claim
that fathers are seen as lacking
in credibility.
“I don’t think it’s in a pseudowar of the sexes that things will
progress,” she said.
– AP

Australians score net hit with Jackass-type pranks
Australia’s latest answer to
America’s Jackass pranksters
have announced themselves to
the world – by jumping on to a
cactus, supergluing their lips shut
and setting each other on fire.
The Children of Poseidon are
three mates from Perth whose
videos of their wince-inducing,
eye-watering stunts have gained
a huge following on the internet.

Their latest escapade, Cactus
Bodyslam, features one of the
group, Jeffabel, jumping seminaked on to a large cactus plant
before his mates, Daniel and
Michael, haul him off and reveal
his bloodied back full of spines.
Cactus Bodyslam, which gained
more than 500,000 views on
YouTube in two days, is a followup to the group’s Cactus Grab

video in which Jeffabel and Daniel
each grab a cactus and see who
can hold on the longest.
Other Children of Poseidon videos have featured the group setting each other on fire, launching
themselves from shopping trolleys, eating cat food and on one
occasion, supergluing Daniel’s
lips shut.
Along the way there’s been plen-

A British couple’s round-theworld cycling odyssey ended
in tragedy when both of them
were killed in a road accident
in Thailand. Peter Root and
Mary Thompson, who had been
chronicling their journey in a
blog, died when they were hit
by a pickup truck in a province
east of Bangkok, Thai police
said this week. The couple,
both 34, and from Guernsey
in the Channel Islands, left
Britain in July 2011 and had
cycled through Europe, the
Middle East, Central Asia and
China.
– AP

The Islamist group Ansaru
claimed the kidnapping of seven
foreigners in a deadly raid on a
construction site in northern
Nigeria at the weekend. In an
email statement distributed to
several journalists, the group
said it has “the custody of
seven persons, which include
Lebanese and their European
counterparts working with
Setraco”, the Lebanese-owned
company targeted in the attack.
– AFP

‘Houdini Horse’ caught on video
With her escape-artist antics
now caught on video, a horse in
Michigan is being dubbed the
“Houdini Horse” thanks to her
knack for opening stall doors.
The nine-year-old horse named
Mariska somehow learned to
open latches at Misty Meadow
Farms near Midland in central
Michigan.
The farm’s co-owner, Sandy
Bonem, posted a video online
of the horse opening numerous locks. It catches how
Mariska lets her-

• UK cyclists killed

• Kidnapping claim

Shows cancelled as strikes hit
BBC journalists have staged a
24-hour strike in protest at job
cuts, preventing the transmission
of many television and radio programmes.
Members of the National Union
of Journalists walked out over
compulsory redundancies expected to affect BBC Scotland, Radio
5 Live, the Asian Network and the
World Service.
The strike was called at the
world’s biggest broadcaster after
union leaders and managers
failed to agree the redeployment
of 30 staff facing the axe.
Picket lines were set up outside
studios across the country as
Radio 4’s flagship news shows
Today, World at One at lunchtime

photo ap

British couple Peter Root and
Mary Thompson, both 34, who
were killed in Thailand last week.

ty of injuries, a couple of arrests
and just a little vomiting.
“Our mates love it, local people
love what we do and obviously at
first our families were a little concerned but they realise now we
aren’t giving it up anytime soon,”
Michael, 18, said.
The group, which always warns
others not to copy their antics,
are the latest answer to America’s

Jackass pranksters, whose crazy
stunts launched them to worldwide fame and several featurelength movies.
Melbourne’s Janoskians have
also gained a cult following for
their internet videos featuring
pranks and mockumentaries.
The Children of Poseidon are
hoping their videos catapult them
to similar fame.

“Our long-term goal is to definitely eventually have a TV show
and get sponsors and some funding behind us,” Michael added.
“We have come this far without any of that so imagine if we
had the ability to do larger-scale
stunts, we have been looking into
a roll cage for our ‘stunt car’ but
they cost a couple thousand dollars.”
– AAP

The European Union has
agreed a raft of new sanctions
against North Korea in retaliation for the country’s nuclear
test last week, EU officials say.
The measures range from financial measures to travel bans
and asset freezes against individuals. The sanctions include
the implementation of individual sanctions approved at UN
level as well as EU restrictions
on financial dealings and trade
sanctions on items potentially
linked to Pyonyang’s ballistic and nuclear programs, the
source says.
– AP

• Miners attacked
South African police say
13 people have been wounded in gunfire and machete
attacks at an Anglo American
Platinum mine, after security
guards battled to disperse a
1000-strong mob that besieged
a rival union’s office. The skirmishes broke out in the tinderbox north-west platinum
belt, where labour violence
killed more than 50 people last
year. The violence at the mine
was sparked by the return of
four shop stewards from the
National Union of Mineworkers.
– AFP

• JFK jacket sells
A leather bomber jacket
that belonged to US president
John F Kennedy has been sold
at auction for $US665,500
($A650,000),
far
exceeding the initial estimate, a
Massachusetts auction house
says. The brown Air Force One
jacket was one of 700 lots put
on the auction block after the
family of David Powers, a special assistant to Kennedy, discovered a treasure trove of JFK
memorabilia in the Powers family home.
– AFP

8

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

SIMPLY LIVING

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

A healthy family meal in 20 minutes
I

t’s an ongoing battle: A long
day at work, then racing
away to pick up a child from
sports practice, grabbing a litre
of milk and an onion from the
supermarket before rushing
home and trying to get something remotely healthy prepared
for the children who are diving
for museli bars and chips in
their hunger.
Finally make it home,
stressed, hot and bothered and
if it’s your turn to make dinner and you didn’t get yourself organised the morning or
night before, what do you feed
the family before they tear the
kitchen apart?
March’s issue of the New
Zealand Healthy Food Guide
may have the answer. It
includes a special recipe feature
on healthy meals in 20 minutes.
The following are some of their
quick and tasty ideas.

• Place stock in a pan with 5 cups
of water and garlic paste. Bring to
a gentle boil.
• Add noodles with vegetables and
cook for 5 minutes, stirring from
time to time.
• Meanwhile, shred or thickly slice
beef. Add to pan with miso, soy
sauce and mirin. Scatter over
radish and serve garnished with
fresh coriander if preferred.

• Toss beef in seasoning and half
the mint. Heat a non-stick pan
with oil spray and add beef. Cook
half at a time and until evenly
browned. Remove and set aside.
Keep warm.
• Mix coleslaw with salad vegetables. Place taco shells in
microwave. Heat for 1 minute.
Separate each shell.
• Place some coleslaw in each
shell. Top with Mexican beef.

Serve with the remaining chopped
mint and a dollop of yoghurt.

Sticky honey and soy pork
with sesame greens

Easy choccy pudding
F

ood and finance go hand-in-hand.
Kim McCosker, wife, mother to
three young boys and co-author
of the 4 Ingredients books, comes to
the rescue with easy and cheap recipes.

of 65.
This reinforces that people are
living longer and Age Concern
wants to see that these years are
spent in good health.
We know that healthy active
older people are well able to
make positive contributions to
our communities.
This does not mean that older
people have to make regular visits to a gym to keep fit if that is
not for them. Exercise is a personal choice and not every activity is for everyone.
Anything that improves and
maintains good breathing and
heart rates is beneficial and most
of these can be achieved within
normal home activities.
Everyday activities such as
light gardening, vacuuming,
cleaning some windows, carrying
shopping bags, all help to keep
us living a much healthier lifestyle, provided we also maintain

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the
dark chocolate and 110g of the butter
in the microwave or in a saucepan
over low heat.
• Stir in the cake mix and eggs and
mix well. Grease 4 cup-size ramekins well with the remaining butter.
• Dividing evenly, pour the chocolate
mixture into the ramekins. Bake
until the tops of the puddings are
set, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Serve in the ramekins or turn out
into individual dessert bowls.
• Optional: Serve with double cream
or vanilla ice cream.
• Note: Store the rest of the cake
mix in an airtight container or
resealable plastic bag, ready for the next
batch of puddings!!

YOUR

stars

ARIES (Mar 21st Apr 20th)
The Sun is in an
exact conjunction with
Neptune. This is when
two planets are side
by side. Neptune has
been a huge influence
on the heavens this
month and this may
have seen you look
for greater escapism from life’s harsh
realities or seen you
incredibly kindly and
generous. A good
cause can once again
benefit from your
altruism Aries.

ZERO

TAURUS (Apr 21st May 21st)
Idealistic
friends
can be particularly
inspirational. People
who are interested
in social causes,
the environment or
co-operative activities can all be really
encouraging to you.
The trick is not to
expect every situation
to dovetail this. Also,
be aware that some
friends may seem to
fall short of the higher
standards that you
would like to reach.

GEMINI (May 22nd Jun 21st)
It is vital to stay totally clear-minded about
any
professional
hopes. Yet what you
can do is be tremendously creative.
However, if you are
looking for financial
support on a small
business, just having good ideas is not
really the issue. You
need to have compelling evidence that
your idea will work
practically. Try not to
take any shortcuts.

CANCER (Jun 22nd
- Jul 23rd)
You can continue to
find yourself thinking
about ways to enliven your existence.
Certainly, engaging
with the arts, film,
exhibitions and travel can all be marvellous ways to do this.
Your senses can be
transformed by such
experiences simply
because you absorb
so much of what you
see and hear: the
more exotic, the better Cancer.

liking. Remove, cover loosely
with tinfoil and set aside to rest
for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blanch peas (or
beans) and broccolini in a large
saucepan of boiling water for
about 2 minutes or until bright
green and tender-crisp. (You can
also microwave for about 1½
minutes).
• Drain well then return to saucepan. Add sesame oil and sesame

soy sauce, tomato paste, honey
and ginger. Add pork. Stir to coat
and set aside.
• Place a large frying pan over a
high heat and spray with oil. Cook
pork for 1 minute each side or
until browned all over.
• Transfer pork to a roasting pan
with a wire rack. Roast for 15
minutes, brushing once or twice
with the remaining marinade, or
until golden and cooked to your

ew Zealand statistics show
that there are at least
611,400 Kiwis over the age

That’s how much you can
pay in marketing costs
before you sell with us!

LEO (Jul 24th - Aug
23rd)
If you find yourself
talking to anyone
about property, business,
investment
or savings, do seek
second
opinions.
Someone may not
intentionally mislead
you but something
may get said which is
inaccurate. It may be
a good idea to include
an
experienced
friend. Their viewpoint
can prove to be really
helpful and bring a different perspective.

VIRGO (Aug 24th Sep 23rd)
Some very subtle but
potent influences can
affect your relationships now. If you are
lucky to have caring
and sensitive people
in your world there
can be even greater
sympathy between
you. If this type of
response is not the
norm, you could yearn
for it. Certainly if you
meet anyone new,
reserve judgement
until you get to know
them a little better.

By Jeanette
Tarbotton

Age Concern
SERVING THE AGEING

a good balanced diet.
Ideally we should be undertaking activities that provide flexibility and balance with plenty of
stretching.
The key to all this of course
is, everything in moderation. We
don’t need to push ourselves to
the limit when joints and bones
become at risk.
In Ashburton there are many
opportunities – such as strolling,
swimming and tai chi – available
that are well suited to the older
person and which also provide
good social interaction.

Age Concern Ashburton provides exercises for the older person on Monday mornings.
There are separate sessions for
women and men and if you are
interested please contact the
office at the Seniors Centre.
Keep mobile and healthy
and enjoy your ‘golden
years’.
Jeanette
Tarbotton is
chairwoman
of Age Concern
Ashburton

SIMPLE

LIBRA (Sep 24th Oct 23rd)
You might find yourself doing someone
a good turn now but
you should do this if
you feel it is appropriate. Someone you
encounter may put
something of a guilt
trip on you in order
to get you to do what
they want. If a boss
or colleague pours on
the praise big-time,
be wary. This is also
a time when your
body can be more
sensitive to toxins.

SCORPIO (Oct 24th
- Nov 22nd)
You can be incredibly perceptive at this
time, or incredibly
confused. If you are
someone with flair
and artistic talent,
this is certainly a time
to shine. Yet if you
are unsure as to how
to raise your profile,
any uncertainty can
drain you. In love, a
time of very special
connections is possible but, sadly, equally
someone may prove
totally unreliable.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov
23rd - Dec 21st)
If you are thinking
about getting yourself
a new abode, the traditional dream of ‘roses
around the door’ could
come up. Now, that
might not be exactly
what you want but
it’s an idealised view
for some people, and
whether you aspire
to this or something
swankier or funkier,
your hopes can rise.
Just be clear about
affordability on this or
any DIY scheme.

SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
Phone Enquiries: 308 6173
LD
Online Enquiries: mcgregorrealestate.co.nz/appraisals.htm SO
SOLD
SOLD

“It’s why more people are choosing McGregors”

CAPRICORN (Dec
22nd - Jan 20th)
People
may
be
becoming
more
receptive to your
musings, and this can
be especially so if
you like to write your
own blog or help out
with a local community newsletter. But as
much as your mode
of communicating can
take on greater magic,
the potential for selfdeception is also high.
In short, don’t kid
yourself about what is
real. Be factual.

AQUARIUS (Jan
21st - Feb 19th)
There is a unique duality to your sign. On one
hand you can be progressive, whilst on the
other you can adhere
to traditional approaches too. This is a time
when you can embrace
the former, especially
around any hopes of
improving your income.
Yet you don’t always
feel comfortable meshing with the reality of
this. Be careful if so
as influences are currently foggy.

PISCES (Feb 20th Mar 20th)
If you love to create,
draw, paint, write or
play music, this can
be a time when you
are especially productive. You can channel all sorts of ideas
incredibly well. All this
can be excellent for
starting a new project
which helps you to
express the full range
of your abilities. Yet
the everyday grind
may seem a whole
lot less edifying than
usual Pisces.

ASHBURTONâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Guardian Classifieds the destination for...

Your next job â&#x20AC;˘ Your next house â&#x20AC;˘ Your next car â&#x20AC;˘ Your next event â&#x20AC;˘ Your next purchase â&#x20AC;˘ Your next sale
To place an ad, call 307-7900 or classifieds@theguardian.co.nz

Classes starting now
Not too late to enrol

Noticeboard

Aoraki Polytechnicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmes have
awesome job outcomes, stack the
odds in your favour
- get the career
you deserve!

World Day
Of Prayer
St Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Union Church
Allens Road, Ashburton
Friday, March 1, 2013
10am
Prepared by the
people of France

ACCOMMODATION,
RENTAL
RETIRED
couple,
no
children, small dog, require
two bedroom cottage or
house
to
rent.
Keen
gardeners, long term. Up to
$270p/w.
Please
phone
03-304-7707.

Website
www.propertybrokers.co.nz

Under 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area

If you are or have experienced low flows or no water in your stockwater race, please contact the Council
office on 307 7700 as soon as possible. In some cases, this will be the only notification Council receive
and these issues cannot be actioned if staff are not aware of the problem.

Steam Train

Rides

Demonstrations

Council would like to remind all stockwater customers that over the summer season, there is the
possibility of lower flows in the stockwater system. This is due to lower water flows in the rivers and
streams, and the unavailability of some spring
sources that the stockwater network is reliant on.

AMAC Bungy
Bouncy castles

Zorb water balls

Council endeavours to ensure customers have
access to stockwater in their races at all times but
due to the variability of the intake sources, Council
cannot guarantee supply. Customers reliant on the
stockwater network should consider and regularly
review their stockwater requirements and ensure
they have contingency plans in place in case the
stockwater race supply is unavailable.

Pack a picnic lunch and drink
bottle and come along and join
in all the free activities on offer
and Celebrate our Children.

supporting your success

FOR SALE

Rentals

Miniature Trains

Craft Activities

If you are experiencing low flows, have no water
or require advice on contingency planning please
contact Council on 307 7700 (24 HRS)

www.aoraki.ac.nz

ACCOMMODATION,
RENTAL

Face Painting

ANGE, tall, busy, in/out
calls. Phone 022-174-4102.

ASIAN, have lots of fun,
with a warm, caring Thai
beauty. Phone Fiona 021TWO bedroom sunny and 187-1559.
spacious townhouse to let in
Tinwald.
$250p/w,
non
smokers. Available March 3. FIRST time in town, today
Ph 0274 333 567 if this is for only, sexy, mature lady,
you.
versatile, 027-869-9959 no
texts.
WANTED to rent: three
bedroom furnished home.
Need
for
approximately HOT New Ladies. Frisky
three months. April through Fillies. In/out calls. Sensual
to June. Call Mike or Nancy massages. Phone
03-308-4695 or 021-516-442 021-565-126.

RestRic ted FiRe se a son â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a shbuRton distRic t
Pl ains and Foothills
Notice is hereby given that the part of the Ashburton Plains for which the Ashburton District Council is the Rural
Fire Authority, is imposed with a RESTRICTED FIRE SEASON for the period midnight Friday 25 January 2013
until further notice.
This means that the lighting of fires in the open air in the Ashburton District is prohibited without permit except
as below. A permit is required from the Department of Conservation for any fires on or within 1 km of any
Crown land.
A Restricted Fire Season remains in force for the Ashburton Lakes and Rakaia Gorge area.
Exceptions during Restricted Fire Season:
The following are approved activities allowed under special authority issued under Section 23 of the Forest
and Rural Fires Act 1977:
â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘

sPoRt new Ze al and RuR al tR aVel Fund
Sport New Zealand provides funding to the Ashburton District Council for the Rural
Travel Fund. This year just over $12,000 is available to distribute.
The purpose of the Rural Travel Fund is to assist with travel expenses of junior
sports teams in rural communities to participate in regular, local sporting
competition. It is open to rural sports clubs and rural school teams with young
people aged between 5-19 years.
Sport New Zealand guidelines state funding shall not be provided:

Full information is available on the Ashburton District Council website at www.ashburtondc.govt.nz or by
contacting Councils Customer Services on (03) 307 7700 (24 hours)

â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘
â&#x20AC;˘

D GeDDeS, Principal rural fire Officer

For the purpose of travel to regional or national events
To individuals
For training costs
or one off events

Application forms and criteria are available from the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website www.ashburtondc.govt.nz/community/
funding+grants and from the Council office.

uPcoming meetings FebRuaRy/maRch

For further information please contact Council on 307 7700
all meetings are open to the public unless specified and residents are welcome to attend.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plant this, not thisâ&#x20AC;? is an intersection road safety campaign designed to get people to slow down at
intersections, stop at stop signs and be more observant at give way signs.

friday 8 March
annual Plan Workshop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am-4pm

Around 40% off all crashes occur at intersections in the Ashburton District with the main causes being poor
observation and failing to give way or stop.
It will cost you $150 and 20 demerit points if you plant your foot through an intersection, so plant sunflower
seeds instead!

Council and committee meetings are held in the Council Chamber, ashburton District Council offices,
5 baring Square West, ashburton.

Visit Facebook.com/Plant This Not This or the road safety web page of the Ashburton District Council
website for more details.

Methven Community board meetings are held in the meeting room of the Methven Heritage Centre,
Main Street, Methven.
b LeSTer, Chief executive

Lions Club Of Ashburton Pakeke

Annual Auction

5 baring Square West, ashburton 7700

PO box 94, ashburton 7740

P (03) 307 7700

e info@adc.govt.nz

www.ashburtondc.govt.nz

At The Racecourse

Friday, March 1, 2013
Proceeds To Cancer Support And Local Charities
Viewing Friday. March 1, 1-5pm
Auction Friday, March 1, commences at 5.30pm
A large selection of goods on offer as well as a cake stall,
produce stall and sausage sizzle
If you have goods to donate and require collection please
phone by the final date of Tuesday, February 26, one of the following:
George Cartney 307 2243
Ray Harraway 308 0422
Graham Taylor 308 3450

GRAZING
available
for
horse or pony. Close to town,
north east area. Use of Hay
barn and loose box. Phone
308-6710.

CONTAINERS

ROYAL Doulton Annual
Figures have arrived into
The China Shop in The
Arcade. Each figure shows
the exquisite craftsmanship
and
detail
that
Royal
Doutlon are renowned for.
GET in early. Dry firewood - Come in and view these
$170 per load. Ph 027-439- elegant ladies.
9322.

We currently have funds available to distribute in grants
for the following purposes in the Canterbury area:
• Research, treatment, provision of equipment in
relation to, and the education and training of skilled
persons relative to, the disease of cancer.
• Research, development, education for, training
and expansion of, the science and practice of
agriculture.
• The needs of young people who suffer physical or
mental disabilities or have less chance in life than
their peers.
Applications close at 5pm, Friday, February 22, 2013.
For further information and application forms,
please contact:
The Secretary
Mackenzie Charitable Foundation
C/- Croys Ltd
Level 2
161 Burnett Street
PO Box 582
Ashburton 7740
Phone 03 308 8353
Email mcf@croys.co.nz

Dominic Kerr
To Dominic on your 9th birthday.
Have a wonderful day chief.
Lots of love from Mum, Dad,
Floyd and Sophie. xxxx

Oliver Bellew
3 years old today.
Have a fantastic day Button.
Love from Mum, Dad and Josh.

Happy Birthday

from

Birthday Greetings are free for those aged 12 and under only. Free
birthday greetings must be received at least two working days before
date of insertion otherwise there is no guarantee that it will appear
on the day requested. Photos will be available at our ground floor
office for collection after notice has appeared in the paper.

To promote your business in any of the
Ashburton Guardian products, call me now

Clip this coupon and deliver to The Ashburton Guardian office the
Friday prior to publication

• Ensuring that all plant and equipment is fully maintained
• Developing and implementing a robust preventative maintenance program

Publication date:
Classification:

• Planning systems and processes to ensure efﬁcient and effective engineering
and maintenance work is carried out and continuous improvement is achieved
• Budgetting control and cost monitoring
• Communicating effectively with all levels to ensure appropriate ﬂow of information
You will have:

Contact
name:

• Qualiﬁcations in service/maintenance engineering and/or relevant trade is
essential
• Experience in delivering optimal service within a manufacturing/milling
environment including the development of maintenance schedule palnning

161 Burnett St, Ashburton. Phone 307 7900

No photocopies accepted - Not to be used in conjunction with another promotion.

• Thorough understanding of relevant technology, plant and equipment
• Willingness and ﬂexibility to work out of hours where required to meet business
needs
We are willing to consider a permanent employment relationship or long term
contracting arrangement, so if you want to make this role yours please apply to:
www.qjumpers.co.nz/QJ8692/3

www.ashburtonceltic.co.nz

TRADES, SERVICES

• Be part of the momentum

This role has predominantly been covered by external contractors and therefore
needs you to take the reigns and make it yours. Your success in this dynamic
role will lie in your ability to relate to others and quickly build rapport both within
and outside of SealesWinslow. You will utilise your customer service orientation,
initiative and attention to detail as you proactively work toward your goals.

March 24 vs West Melton at home
JAB

• Make your mark!

As Site Engineer at our Ashburton operation you will lead the development of
strategies to improve overall reliability of the mill, buildings and equipment and
improve production. You will also work closely with the Engineering Team Leader to
deisgn, plan and build plant and equipment to improve reliability and safety of plant
and production processes.

475 3002
368 3999
434 6815
435 3231

Senior trial games

Ashburton

SealesWinslow recently joined forces with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd creating new
and exciting opportunities and synergies. You will get the best of both worlds! The
strong team focus of a small and growing business, with the added support that
comes from the well-established practices of Ballance.

SealesWinslow Ltd is a leading New Zealand compound ruminant feed
manufacturer, offering farmers the highest quality, unique, proven and reliable
animal feed and nutrition products. With operations in regional areas: Morrinsville,
Ashburton and soon to be open Wanganui, our sales and distribution teams reach
well beyond these boundaries.

Professional Real Estate Sales
Career Opportunity
We currently have two positions available in Rural and Urban to
people interested in joining a highly successful and professional
team at our high profile, modern office.
Previous sales experience is not essential as we “Hire for Attitude
and Train for Skills”.
We are looking for people who want a career not a job, with a positive
attitude and excellent communication skills.
If you would like to join our team of highly motivated and dynamic
sales people give me a call on
03 307 8317 ext 602 or mobile 0274 376 755 Jill Quaid

Mid
Canterbury
90 Tancred Street, Ashburton

www.ashfirstnat.co.nz

Licenced Agent REAA 2008

Pharmacy Position
An opportunity has arisen for a full
time position to look after our front of
Pharmacy activities.
Main duties are:
q

Customer service with an emphasis
on health.

q

Ordering and control of stock

Pharmacy appearance and display
q
Key attributes needed:
q

Friendly disposition

q

Possess interpersonal skills that
enables excellent customer service

q

To be able to work effectively
alongside other staff members and
suppliers.

Part Time
Bar Steward
The Ashburton RSA is
currently looking for a
part time Bar Steward.
This will involve week
and weekend work. Bar
experience and a current
Managers License
preferable though not
necessary as full training
to the right person will be
given.
Please apply by phone
to the General Manager
on 308 7175 or email
ashrsa@xtra.co.nz

Part Time
Merchandiser
For Ashburton
We are currently looking for
a part time merchandiser in
Ashburton.
The shift is Sundays 2.5hrs
split shift, within the dairy
department.
Start date is 24 Feb 2013
If this sounds like you please
apply now!
Email your application to
juliet@coverstaff.net.nz

360 West Street, Ashburton
Email ashrobbies@xtra.co.nz

Head Chef (Full Time)
Sous Chef/Cook (Maternity Cover)
We are currently looking for a experienced Head Chef
to take over responsibility of running our kitchen. You
will be ultimately responsible for six chefs, day to day
running of our kitchen, meeting targets, ordering, stock
control and all other aspects of a busy kitchen.
Also, a Sous Chef is required for maternity leave cover
with the possibility of up to a year of employment
opportunity. The person we are seeking would have had
to have had experience in a busy kitchen. However, we
are prepared to train the right person for this position
with the possibility of a chefs apprenticeship if he/she
has the passion and dedication for this industry.
If you know you’ve got what it takes to become part
of a hard working kitchen team and have fun in the
process, then forward all your details to Amanda Joyce.

Building Supplies
Customer Service
20 hrs week

Mitre 10 MEGA have a vacancy to join the busy
team in building supplies. This position is for
20 hours per week and will include rostered
weekends. The position would suit a retired
person or a student with an interest in building
or D.I.Y.
If you think this is of interest to you, please
send your covering letter and c.v. to:
HR.Ashburton@mitre10.co.nz or post to:
Human Resources,
P.O. Box 35, Ashburton 7740.

Shop ASSiStAnt/
kitchen hAnd
We have a position
available for a Shop
Assistant/Kitchen Hand in
our busy 7 day a week dairy
in Ashburton.
This part time position
demands a high standard
of physical fitness. The
successful applicant will be
required to work flexible
hours on a roster.
If this sounds like you,
please reply with a C.V. and
physical address, or email
for an application form, to:
c/- Ashburton
Guardian 782
p o Box 77
Ashburton 7740

Sawmill
Labourers
This position is suited to
a person who is physically
fit and prepared to do 45
hours per week.
So, if this sounds like you,
please apply in person,
with CV, to:

Adams Sawmilling
Co Ltd
Malcolm McDowell Road
Forklift Operators
We are looking for a number of
experienced Forklift Operators in
Selwyn and Ashburton.
Successful candidates will be:

Motivated
Great team players
Willing to learn
Can do attitude
Proven track record
Experienced in forklift operations
If this role sounds like you please
call Blair today!

021 902 480

www.canstaff.co.nz

Tradesmen And Brush Hand Positions
With the growth of our painting and decorating
business, we require an additional Tradesmen and
Brush Hand.
The successful applicants need to have good work
ethics and be able to work in a small team environment.
To discuss this position, please phone Hamish on

027 633 1679 or on 307 7447 (A/H).

We are looking for an All
Rounder for our busy licensed
Cafe at Ashford’s Village.
 Flexibility to work
weekends.
 Tidy, reliable team
member with a keen
attitude.
 Experience is preferred.
Please phone
Vicki or Rangi on

Burn up to 2000 kilojoules with the Curves 30-minute circuit
that gives you strength and cardio training.
Where women are strengthened

Curves Ashburton

222 Havelock Street - Telephone 308 4085

*Available only to new members. 50% off Curves gym membership initial service fee only. Offer based on first visit enrolment. Transaction fees may apply.
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7.30 Glee. (PGR) Alumni and current members of New
Directions join together in preparation for Will and
Emma’s Valentine’s Day wedding.
8.30 The Biggest Loser. (G) One team must work out for a
week without the guidance of their trainer, who secretly
monitors his players to track their progress.
10.25 Life Unexpected. (PGR) Ryan hosts a music festival
where Cate meets Haley James Scott, and the two
women bond over their similar pasts.
11.20 Entertainment Tonight. (G)
11.45 Infomercials. (G)

MOTORING
Meet the riders and see their bikes
Riders going on the Jokers Social Club Your Number’s Up run will
assemble at 88 Alford Forest Road from around 11.30am on Saturday
and head away about 12.30pm. Anyone interested is invited to have a
look at the bikes and hear the sound of thunder as they take off.

Brent Aldwin and his beloved Harley-Davidson Softail Deuce.

It’s all about the ride
G

etting the nickname
riding with them. The Sportster was
Chucky and being known
a good bike and Chucky liked having
by it is part of a dream
a Harley, but he yearned for a bigger
By Bernard Egan
come true for Brent Aldwin.
one.
The nickname was bestowed
After riding the Sportster for five
MOTORING AND
upon him by his fellow Jokers
years, Chucky was thinking more
OTHER VITAL ISSUES
when he became a member of the
and more about a change and his
Jokers Social Club.
daughters Gina and Stacey knew
It’s a bit of a tradition for each
that. One day the girls saw a bike
member to have a nickname, for
advertised which they thought would
Chucky it meant he had been
suit their dad.
able to join a group of brothers he had respected for a
It was for sale in Fairlie; Chucky
long time.
knew the seller and made
It was a dream come true for Chucky, one which he
arrangements to look at it.
wasn’t sure would ever eventuate.
He took one look, liked
But it did and Chucky says he couldn’t be happier.
everything about the
Obviously to become a Joker you need a bike and for a
bike and only asked
long while even though he always knew he wanted a bike, to listen to it, not
preferably a Harley, Chucky wasn’t sure if he would ever
to ride it.
get one. But he has one. It didn’t happen overnight, and
Chucky says
in fact like many good things, it has taken time.
it sounded aweChucky grew up in Ashburton. He was always intersome and that
ested in motorbikes and some of his friends had bikes,
was enough for
but he didn’t.
him. He bought
Work took him to Auckland, and it soon became obviit there and then
ous it would be far more convenient and cheaper to
and arranged to go
travel to work on a bike, so he bought a Honda 50 which
back later to collect it.
proved to be an ideal, economical and reliable form of
The plan was for the trip home
transport.
to be his first ride, but it snowed
Even when Chucky and his Honda became the victims
so the bike was brought
of an errant motorist, they both survived with a few
back on a trailer.
grazes and carried on.
It was a little while
Chucky enjoyed riding the Honda and it confirmed his
before Chucky got to ride it
liking for bikes and created a desire to get a bigger one.
but when he did he couldn’t
That opportunity came and he bought a Honda 650
have been more pleased.
which was a big change but also a good way to get used
The bike, which has a distinctive
to riding a bigger, more powerful bike.
paint finish, is a Softail Deuce.
He also owned a Suzuki 2 stroke affectionately known
It has fulfilled Chucky’s dream of ownas ‘Old Smokey” but in his heart of hearts Chucky knew
ing a big block Harley and it’s provided
what he really wanted was a Harley-Davidson. As is often
nothing but pleasure.
the case family priorities come first, but when the chilLike most Harley owners, Chucky has personalised his
dren were older the chance came for Chucky to get his
bike and because he just uses it for social riding it has
first Harley – a Sportster 1200.
only done moderate kilometres.
Chucky moved back to Christchurch and rode with two
Chucky describes his bike as a great machine which is
clubs up there but often came to Ashburton to meet up
comfortable to ride, making it a good cruiser.
with old friends, some of whom are Jokers.
This weekend Chucky will be on his Harley riding with
He started travelling down here most weekends to go
others going on the 15th running of the Jokers Your

Number’s Up run which is a bit like a mobile card game.
Riders pick a card at each stop and the person with the
best hand wins the prize.
It’s a legendary and
popular run; it will be the
12th time Chucky has
taken part.
He’s hoping the
cards will be luckier
this time, but it
won’t matter
because
for

Chucky it’s
all about the ride and
what he describes as
the awesome feeling of
being with other bikers.
Chucky became a member
of the Jokers Social Club
three years ago.
He is proud to be a Joker; proud
to be part of a group who look after
one another, proud to tell people about
his club, proud to be amongst brothers
and proud to have the nickname given to
him by them.
Sometimes good things take time. Belonging
to the Jokers Social Club and owning a Harley
are two of the things Chucky had long hoped for.
Both were a while coming but for Chucky they
were well worth waiting for and are two dreams which
have come true.

Your Number’s Up is a popular event on the Jokers Social Club calendar and this year’s 15th anniversary run is part of a special weekend
for the club. It will include the Jokers presenting a donation to Child Cancer from the proceeds of their 2012 Ashburton Bike Show.

You don’t want your house to age
too fast so protect it with Solagard!
Exterior painting
• Fence
• House
• Eaves
• Soffits

errari is the world’s
most powerful brand.
And not simply in
the opinion of millions of
Prancing Horse enthusiasts
the world over, indeed, the
clients that continue to buy
the cars built at Maranello
year after year, but according to the annual list
compiled by leading brand
valuation experts, Brand
Finance.
Ferrari took the number
one spot of the top five
most powerful brands in
2013 ahead of the likes of
Google, Coca-Cola, PwC
and Hermes on a list that
includes the 500 most
famous companies in the
world.
Brand Finance says
because of its size, the
Maranello company cannot compete with the large
multinational brands in
terms of overall revenues.
However, its brand rating
takes into account other
financial metrics, such
as net margins, average
revenue per customer, and
advertising and marketing
spend, as well as qualitative parameters, such as

brand affection and loyalty.
“It is always a pleasure
to top any list and still
more so when the competition includes some of the
world’s most famous companies,” said Ferrari chair-

man Luca di Montezemolo.
“This achievement proves
that even in very tough
economic times, Italy can
still offer the world businesses of excellence,” he
said.

“Behind this acknowledgement are exceptional
products made by equally
exceptional men and
women. They made it possible and for that I thank
them.”

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

SPORT

13

www.guardianONLINE.co.nz

Ropati to make
Warriors return
of the Hamilton hit-out after being
named originally.
Warriors head coach Matthew
Elliott was especially pleased the
way had been cleared for Ropati
to make his comeback.
“It has been another long battle
back from injury for Jerome and
we’ve all admired the way he has
gone about it,” he said.
“He knows better than anyone
else what it’s like when you go
through setbacks of the type he
has endured. He’s a quality player
and person, one who’s so important to our club and our team.
“We’re all looking forward to
having him back. He has done
the work and there’s no doubt he
deserves a change of luck.”
With 2012 premiership winner
Lowrie in the side, Feleti Mateo
is named in the second row
with captain Simon Mannering.

Waterski Lake Hood’s Josh Hood was one of several skiers who set personal best scores at the Canterbury Slalom Tournament at the weekend.

Skiers taste success at tournament
The Waterski Lake Hood team
has seen a string off success on
the water at the Canterbury Slalom
Tournament held at the weekend.
Lana Donaldson carried her
strong momentum into the meet
on a flat Lake Hood, clinching a
South Island record with a score of
three buoys using a 12 metre line
at 55km/h (3-12 at 55).

It is another addition to her
growing list of achievements after
claiming silver medals at the recent
Oceania and Oz-Kiwi championships, the standout performer in
her team that was up against clubs
from Timaru to Christchurch.
Gavin Green was also among the
strong performers, top scoring in
the senior grade, skiing 2-12 at 55,

By Daniel Richardson
Less than 24 hours into his retirement Lou Vincent is already finding
it hard to sit still.
The livewire cricketer announced
his retirement from the game via his
Twitter account on Monday and said
he had no immediate plans other
than trying to relax.
“I’m just going to perfect the art of
doing nothing,” he said yesterday.
“I’ve never done it before and I’m
on day one and what’s the time?
12.30pm and I’m starting to feel
bored. I don’t know how long I can
do this for but I need to. I need to
be bored, I need to stop.”
Vincent’s career was anything
but boring and after making his
first-class debut for Auckland in the
1997-1998 season he experienced
most of the highs and lows that the
game has to offer.
He made three test centuries, won
trophies and entertained stadiums
full of people but he’s also endured
some dark days, including his battle with depression, which became
public knowledge in 2008.
The 34-year-old said his personal
struggles made him the man he is
today. “The journey I’ve been on, it’s
taught me a lot about myself and
once you get that understanding
about how you tick as a human
being you start to live by those rules.
Five years ago I thought that was the
end of the world. So I’m madly in
love and I’ve got the most gorgeous
woman in the world I’m going to be
with soon and I’ve got two gorgeous
little girls from a marriage that didn’t
work out, so I’ve everything a man
needs.”

Although he wants to relax Vincent
has a project in mind for the future.
He wouldn’t reveal details but said
it would be about “making the world
a better place”.
“I get such pride and passion
giving to the community and that’s
something I haven’t done much of
this summer so I want to give back.”
One thing that doesn’t appear to
be on the agenda is cricket. He said
after sharing a few drinks with his
flatmate following his retirement
announcement he was presented
with a makeshift contract to commit
to a club game this weekend.
“I woke up this morning just trying
to recap and I saw this contract and
I thought ‘there’s no way, mate’. This
wouldn’t hold up in a court,” Vincent
said. “The last thing I can think
about now is holding a cricket bat.”
Vincent’s international career left
you wondering how good he could
have been but with 23 test appearances and an average of 34.15, 102
one-day caps and nine Twenty20
international outings he doesn’t look
back with regret.
He scored 104 on test debut at
the WACA in 2001 against a redhot Australian attack, while his
224 against Sri Lanka at the Basin
Reserve in 2005 was one of the finer
test knocks by a New Zealander.
Despite being contracted to
Auckland for the rest of the season,
Vincent, who recently spent a turbulent few weeks in the Bangladesh
Premier League, said he knew the
time was right to give the game away.
“You hear other players talk about
it and I can’t give 100 per cent and it
kills you as a player when you look
up and you can’t give 100 per cent.”
- APNZ

her new personal best.
Personal bests were also in
abundance in the junior boys’
grade, brothers George and Hugh
Donaldson recording their best
ever scores along with fellow team
member Lachie Woodman.
The team will head to Lake
Crichton for the CWSA 3 Event
Tournament in two weeks.

Olympic shot put champion Valerie
Adams will compete in a competition
at The Cloud on Auckland’s waterfront
on Saturday, March 2.
The event, put on by the Auckland
Council and Sport NZ, is called Shot
In The City. The council is contributing
$30,000 for the one-off event.
The announcement was made yesterday at High Performance Sport
NZ’s National Training Centre on
Auckland’s North Shore.
Mayor Len Brown said he was
thrilled Aucklanders would have a
chance to see Adams compete in the
city.

“Valerie is a great ambassador for her
sport, for Auckland and New Zealand,”
said Mr Brown. “This event not only
allows us to see an international
athlete in her prime, but will also give
people a chance to give shot put a go.”
Adams said the event would be a
first for New Zealand.
“It is based on Zurich’s Big Shot
event, but with a truly Pacific and
Kiwi feel, set against the backdrop of
the Pacific Showcase Markets in The
Cloud. I’m pleased to be bringing our
sports communities and Pacific communities together in a day that will be
fun for everyone.”
- APNZ

Clarke heading to Ireland
Chiefs co-captain Craig Clarke will
head offshore at the end of the Super
15 season to continue his rugby career
in Ireland.
The 29-year-old has signed with the
Irish club Connacht for three seasons.
He will link up with former Blues coach
Pat Lam at the club.
Clarke is the second Chiefs player in
a matter of weeks to announce a move
after All Black Richard Kahui signalled

his departure for Toshiba for Japan.
Lock Clarke has played 57 games for
the Chiefs including leading the side
to their first Super 15 title last season.
“I was planning on leaving a few
years ago but under the new management I was really enjoying it so I
decided to stay.”
The Chiefs kick off their Super 15
campaign this Friday against the
Highlanders in Dunedin.
- APNZ

2013 Super 15
READER
competition

Think you’re the top Super 15 tipper in town?
Then you should enter the Guardian’s Super 15
competition and be in to win All Blacks tickets.

landing him just out of reach of a
New Zealand record.
However, top scorer of the day,
Karl Donaldson, skied with a short
11m rope with an unmatched score
of 2-11 at 58.
In the junior grade, Gabriella
Woodman qualified for three events
for the upcoming national championships while Anna Doig claimed

Retired Lou Vincent Adams to take a
ready to do nothing Shot In The City

Wills St

SCOREBOARD
Results

Lowrie’s inclusion is the only
change to the starting combination Elliott used against the
Panthers.
The Warriors open their season
against Parramatta on Saturday,
March 9. A week later they stage
their first home game of the season - against the Sydney Roosters
at Eden Park.
Warriors team to play Brisbane at
Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on
Saturday, kick-off 7.30pm, is: Kevin
Locke, Bill Tupou, Dane Nielsen,
Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas
Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Jacob
Lillyman, Elijah Taylor, Ben Matulino,
Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c),
Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Glen
Fisiiahi, Charlie Gubb, Sam Rapira,
Carlos Tuimavave, Alehana Mara,
Jerome Ropati, Sebastine Ikahihifo,
Steve Rapira.
- APNZ

Peter St

Jerome Ropati will play his first
game in 10 months and Todd
Lowrie his first for his new club
when the New Zealand Warriors
take on the Brisbane Broncos
in Saturday night’s pre-season
match in Dunedin.
Ropati was last year sidelined
by a knee injury in the club’s
10th-round match against the
Sydney Roosters.
The 28-year-old has been
named on the bench for his
planned return in the Warriors’
final trial.
Lowrie missed last weekend’s
trial against Hamilton when he
returned home after the death of
his grandfather but will line up at
loose forward in his first outing
for the Warriors after joining the
club from Melbourne.
Also returning are Sam and
Steve Rapira who were ruled out

Be prepared with a first aid kit from
Wises Pharmacy.
A wide range of kits and products are
available, suitable for home, business,
car, bach or boat.

The Guardian is trialing a new Super 15 tipping
competition this year.
Go to the guardianonline.co.nz, click on the Super
15 readers’ competition logo and follow the simple
steps to sign up to the free competition to be into
win All Blacks tickets.
But make it quick, the competition has already kicked off!

14

SPORT

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Guardian

Waterskiers taste success P13 | Ropati to make warriors return P13

Given Hampton’s discount for
Savea’s youth and previously clean
record, the suspension seems
harsh when compared with the
ban All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore
received for a king hit on Welshman
Bradley Davies during a test at the
Millennium Stadium in November.
Hore’s hit, in the opening minutes,
knocked out the lock who was sent
to hospital. For that he was given a
ban of five weeks - three of which
have been served by sitting out the
Highlanders’ pre-season matches.
Pulu, on the other hand, was
uninjured.
“Obviously I’m quite gutted, but
I knew it was coming,” Savea said
of the ban.
“It was a bad tackle from the looks
of it from the video and I’d just like
to apologise again to Augustine but
it is what it is and I’ve got to face
the consequences.”
Savea produced an eye-catching
campaign for Wellington in last
year’s ITM Cup and the Hurricanes
have now been shorn of their most
exciting prospect in recent years for
the first four games of the season.
“It is disappointing but I’ve just got
to move on. I don’t want it to have
a negative effect on the team so I’ve
just got to stay positive,” Savea said.
“[I will] use this as a learning
curve, I guess and hopefully this
makes me stronger and gives me
time to work on what I need to work
on for the Super season.”
Veteran loose forward Karl Lowe
is likely to pull on the No 7 jersey
for the Hurricanes this weekend,
while Victor Vito could be used there
at a pinch.
Manawatu Turbos flanker Callum
Gibbins, who is a member of the
Hurricanes’ wider training group,
could also be summoned.
- APNZ

By Daniel Richardson
Ardie Savea knew as soon as
he drove Augustine Pulu into the
Mangatainoka turf with an illegal
tackle on Saturday that he might
be in trouble.
The Hurricanes openside flanker
yesterday received a four-week ban
from judicial officer Nigel Hampton
QC and will miss the first month of
the Super Rugby season.
“I made the tackle and I got up
and the game was in play so I just
played on but straight after I did
the tackle was when I thought
‘something’s going to go down’ ...
Obviously I did a dangerous tackle,”
the 19-year-old said.
The Hurricanes will now be
without two openside flankers for
Saturday night’s season-opening
game against the Blues at Westpac
Stadium because Jack Lam is
injured.
Savea said the Hurricanes
wouldn’t appeal against the sanction.
In his ruling, Hampton described
the tackle as “clumsy with elements
of recklessness”.
He added: “Savea’s poor technique
contributed to the dangerous nature
of the tackle as he lost control, posing potential risk of injury to Pulu’s
neck or head.
“The player has acknowledged the
tackle was poorly executed and I
have considered his early admission
of fault as being in his favour.
“I deem the tackle to be in the midrange of seriousness. Taking into
account all the mitigating factors,
and this young man’s impressive
character and conduct through this
process, I have decided a sanction of
no less than four weeks is appropriate,” Hampton said.

All Blacks coach Steven Hansen is disappointed that departing winger Richard Kahui
didn’t talk to him before announcing his
decision to play rugby in Japan at the end
of the season.
Kahui will head to Japan to play for the
Toshiba club for two seasons at the end of
this year’s Super 15 season.
Hansen said yesterday that All Blacks
management were left in the dark over
Kahui’s plans.
“We were very disappointed about that

From the
sideline

leave because there are other people here
that have talent.
“He’s obviously weighed that up and he
believes he can come back so hopefully he
does and hopefully he can come back and
play at the level that gets him selected.”
Kahui has played 17 tests for the All Blacks
since making his debut in 2008 and has
scored 10 tries.
The 27-year-old missed the international
season last year after undergoing his fourth
shoulder reconstruction.
- APNZ

because he didn’t really speak to us, or his
agent didn’t,” Hansen told LiveSport radio.
“I always find that a bit frustrating.”
The two-year Toshiba deal will enable
Kahui to return to New Zealand to play in
the Super 15 in 2015 and possibly push for
a World Cup place.
Hansen said he spoke to Kahui following
his decision and said he’s taking a “big risk”
if he wishes to wear the All Black jersey again.
“He’s talked about coming back like everybody else but they take a big risk when they

Test yourself with the
Guardian’s weekday quiz

What is this person
famous for?

Who said it?
“Golf and sex are about the
only things you can enjoy
without being good at.”

Today’s sports
trivia question
Which top sportsman had his
life threatened in a letter to
the press when he arrived in
New Zealand in 2002?

Give us your caption ...

Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 190213-TM-051

Connor McKinnon took out the overall Year 12 and 13 boys’ section at Mount Hutt College’s 2013 Swimming Sports yesterday, claiming the
highly regarded Lachlan Cup along the way.

Long-standing swimming records fall
By Myles Hume
One of Mount Hutt College’s youngest
pupils was the biggest star at the school’s
2013 Swimming Sports over the past two
days.
Year 7 pupil Josh Harkness broke two
long-standing records on Monday, claiming the Year 7 boys’ 30 metre breaststroke (26.39secs) and the 30m freestyle
(18.72secs) records in dominating fashion,
while claiming the overall Year 7 boys’
grade.
Josh’s masterclass was laid out in front

of more than 500 pupils who took part in
the college’s two-day event, with consistent performers accumulating points to go
towards winning the overall grade.
Competitors could compete in freestyle,
backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, medley
and other events as many times as they
liked to claim points towards a title and
for their house group.
Year 13 and deputy head boy Connor
McKinnon was the strongest male swimmer, his efforts in the 120m freestyle landing him with the highly sort after Lachlan
Cup to go with the overall winner of the
Year 12 and 13 boys’ grade.

Send your caption to
steve.d@theguardian.co.nz
Best of the week will be published in Saturday’s Guardian

Mid Canterbury’s star swimmer Grace
Sommerville showed her class, dominating the girls’ Year 12 and 13 grade to oust
runner-up Chanaide Fulton and third
placegetter Hayley Tait.
In the Year 10 and 11 grades, Assina
Dalglish took the girls’ crown while Dallas
McLeod won the boys’ section.
Aimee Elliot was the overall champion
of the Year 8 and 9 girls’ grade while Alex
Blake claimed top spot in the boys’ grade.
The Year 7 girls’ grade winner was Ellie
Boekholt, while her counterpart Josh
Harkness was the most successful competitor of the event.

Today’s answers:
Mystery person: Heather Mitts has
played for the Philadelphia Charge,
Boston Breakers, Philadelphia
Independence and Atlanta Beat, as we
as picking up three Olympic gold medals for the US national football team.
Quote: Jimmy Demaret
Trivia question: Tiger Woods

Savea set
for four
weeks on
sidelines

Hansen in the dark over Kahui decision

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12:44 6:56
1:09
7:12
1:33
7:44
1:54
7:57
2:18
8:27
2:34
8:39
The times shown are for the Ashburton River mouth. For the Rangitata river
mouth subtract 16 minutes and for the Rakaia river mouth subtract 6 minutes.